In the Eyes of a Child
by GothChick88
Summary: Death is only the beginning, right? Well that couldn't be more accurate for substitute shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki. What kind of hell will he raise when he finally makes it to soul society? read and find out. (summary sucks, I know. R and R) Rated T for now, but might rise later on. Violence, some mild language, and a teenage soul reaper.
1. Chapter 1: Announcements

**A/N- 06-24-13 A HUGE thank you to reviewer, Dragonheart, who really helped me out and pointed out some flaws in this chapter that I was unable to catch! So thank you very much! (I always feel like the littlest things make the biggest difference. Especially when it comes to writing, so I'm seriously grateful you took the time to point all that out.) **

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Rukia Kuchiki sighed quietly, turning to glare at the sunlit courtyard outside her window. She couldn't get anything done with the godforsaken heat! Groaning, she turned back to the mountain of paperwork on her desk before the sound of running footsteps made her pause. She looked up as the door to her office flew open, a panicked Kiyone standing there apologetically.

"Kuchiki fuku-taichou! Pardon the interruption and my rudeness," She panted. "There is an emergency meeting being held for all captains and vice-captains immediately!"

Rukia's eyes widened slightly in understanding an nodded gratefully, jumping to her feet and flash stepped towards the meeting hall. She arrived at the large wooden doors in no time, taking a mere second to compose herself before making her way inside. A few of the captains glanced up at her disinterestedly before turning around to continue their hurried conversations with their colleagues. Rukia frowned at the nervous atmosphere before making her way towards the group of confused fuku-taichou. Renji smiled at her while a few of the others nodded in greeting. Frowning, she turned to her red haired friend.

"Renji. What the hell is going on?" She questioned anxiously. The last time there had been an emergency captains meeting, it was because Soul Society was under grave threat, and that was something no one wanted to relive. Renji glanced around before turning back to her with a sigh.

"I'm not sure. All I know is the captains don't know anything yet either. SO we all know about as much as you do." He explained unhappily. Rukia nodded in understanding before turning to look at the captains, who had grown silent and still.

Suddenly, they all hurried to their designated spots, their lieutenants scrambling to stand behind them while the unmistakable reiatsu of the Sou-taichou drew closer. The doors flew open just as Rukia made it to her post behind Ukitake-taichou. Yamamoto made his way to the front of the room before turning and fixing the occupants with a piercing stare. Silence reigned while Rukia and a few of the others figgited uncomfortably. After a few more moments the Sou-taichou chose to speak.

"...It has come to our attention that something of grave importance will be happening soon, and we need to prepare." He started vaugely. The Captains and vice-captains glanced at each other, whispering urgently amongst themselves. Yamamoto allowed this for a moment before clearing his throat, effectively garnering the rooms attention once more.

"This may come as a shock to some of you, but it has been a long time coming." He said slowly, glancing at the individuals assembled before him. "...As many of you know, Seretei has a duty to keep track of souls traveling between the worlds. The cycle of life and death."

He paused, gauging the reactions in the room thus far which ranged from bored to confused.

"We recently had an individual appear on this list." He took a breath, watching as the other occupants of the room looked up in interest. "...Ichigo Kurosaki will be arriving in Soul Society."

There was dead silence for a moment before all hell broke loose. Shock, happiness, and sadness seemed to radiate throughout the hall. Excited voices echoed off the walls as they discussed the meaning and prospects of seeing their ally again after so many years. Yamamoto snorted quietly before slamming his staff down, silencing the hall.

"This is a very serious affair. As you all know, Kurosaki is a valuable ally to Soul Society. A powerful shinigami and faithful friend to many. He will be an asset to the gotei 13. We must prepare." He stated, staring hard at every person in the room. They all nodded seriously.

"Now, according to our intel we will need to send someone to fetch Kurosaki within the next two weeks or so. Would anyone volunteer?" Before he had even finished speaking hands had shot up around the room. He looked them over before zeroing in on the 13th division's vice-captain.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki." He said after a moment. Rukia looked up at him, shocked, before composing herself and nodding dutifully.

"There is also the matter of position. It's obvious he is seated for no less than a lieutenant's position, so what do you all propose?"

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, Ukitake raised his hand. Yamamoto nodded for him to speak freely.

"Head captain, if I may be so bold, it's obvious the boy is suited for no less than a captain's position. He defeated many of our own seated officers, captains, and he defeated many high level hollows before and after we first encountered him." Ukitake argued. "He has shown time and time again that he has the strength and the determination required to be in command. He's also proven himself to be a strong leader. I say that we fill one of the remaining captain's positions."

There was a murmur of vague agreement following this statement. Yamamoto glanced at his student approvingly before addressing the room at large.

"How many of you would approve of Kurosaki being a captain of the gotei 13?" He asked slowly, gazing around the room. Hands rose quickly at the question.

"No way! I cannot approve of a...a...CHILD being a captain!" Kurotsuchi suddenly shouted. Yamamoto stared at him silently.

"And why not!?" Hitsuguya asked heatedly. "Even I have to admit the kids a prodigy. So what if he's younger than us?!"

The others chose to ignore the irony in his statement, considering he looked no older than a middle schooler, and silently agreed with him.

"Still! The boy has no training! He possesses no discipline, has no knowledge of our history. He doesn't even know basic shinigami knowledge or kidou! And you expect us to just hand him a position like this?!" Kurotsuchi shouted, outraged.

"Captain Kurotsuchi has a point," Yamamoto conceded. "But, so does captain Hitsuguya. I propose a compromise. What if we sent Kurosaki to the academy like any other shinigami, and then allowed him to take up his position upon his graduation? Would that alleviate any worries?" He asked. The other captains all nodded and murmured in agreement. Kurotsuchi muttered something about ridiculous, flashy brats and wasting time with 'intellectually challenged fools,' which the other captains kindly chose to ignore in favor of pursuing the matter at hand.

"Alright. Start preparing for his arrival. We'll have another meeting soon to decide the squad and any other affairs that need to be discussed. Captains Kuchiki, Hitsuguya, and lieutenants Kuchiki, Abarai, and Matsumoto. Remain here. The rest of you, DISMISSED!" He practically shouted, slamming his wooden staff down for good measure. The rest of the room's occupants got the hint, disappearing almost immediately to give the others privacy. Once the last straggler had left, Yamamoto turned his gaze upon the small group he had requested remain.

"I would like you 5, along with 3rd seat Madarame and 5th seat Ayasegawa to travel to the world of the living and monitor Kurosaki Ichigo. I know we said that it should be two weeks or so before we have to worry about that, but we have to compensate for any unforeseen...complications. We CANNOT risk Kurosaki's soul falling into the wrong hands. Understood?" He demanded. They all nodded seriously. "Good. You leave immediately. Dismissed."

"Hai!" They all said simultaneously before bowing and disappearing. Yamamoto sighed tiredly before making his way back to his office, his lieutenant following faithfully behind him.

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**Ok, so that's the end of the prologue/ chapter 1...thing. I started typing this at fucking 3. A. M. this morning. Damn my muse. But anyway. I'll try and post another chapter today or tomorrow. And please bear with me. I know their short, weirdly structured, and probably have horrible spelling. I don't have a word doc. program on this computer (due to extenuating circumstances), so I'm having to use this notepad thing, which has no txt choices, spell check, or even page limits. It sucks. But chapters will get longer and edited when I get my new program. SO read, review and tell me what you thought I suppose.**


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected

Rukia and the others took off towards the Senkaimon, each lost in thought. Rukia frowned infinitesimally. The last time she had seen Ichigo had been almost 60 years ago. While that felt like no time to her, she knew it was literally a lifetime for him. Rukia knew that soul society had kept tabs on Ichigo and his friends, so she and the others had at least known a little about what was going on in their lives, but that didn't mean they knew everything. What would he look like? What had he accomplished? Did he ever have any children? Could he even see spirits anymore?

Would he remember them?

She knew she was being over-dramatic, but she couldn't help it. Ichigo had grown up. He and his friends had graduated, gotten jobs, fallen in love and started families. What had she done? She and the others had remained the same, untouched by time. And that worried her more than she cared to admit. She couldn't even begin to guess how betrayed he'd feel. His friends in soul society had completely cut ties with him after he lost his powers. And while they all knew it was for the best, it still had to hurt.

Rukia stood silently, lost in thought, until she was suddenly shoved sideways into Renji, who caught her readily.

"Huh!?"

Rangiku Matsumoto smiled kindly at her.

"Sorry Kuchiki," She apologized. "We tried getting your attention earlier, but you were pretty spaced out."

"Ah, sorry." Rukia said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably. The others just nodded, understanding without words how nervous she was to see her friend.

"The senkaimon is ready. Let's go." Hitsuguya said, already heading through the doorway. The others followed him quickly.

Rukia noticed with mild surprise that Ikkaku and Yumichika had already arrived.

'Huh, guess I really was more than a little distracted earlier.' She mused silently. Shaking away the unnecessary thoughts, she moved to catch up with the others, the doorway closing behind her with a slam.

* * *

They arrived in the World of the Living quickly. Stepping into Karakura for the first time in nearly 60 years, all seven shinigami felt an overwhelming wave of nostalgia wash over them. Rukia paused for a moment to get her bearings, realizing that the town hadn't changed that much from the last time she'd been there.

"Let's move. I want Kurosaki under supervision as soon as possible." Byakuya Kuchiki said in a business-like tone. The others nodded silently and followed the 6th division captain towards the address they'd been given. Not that they really needed it, Rukia noted absently. Ichigo had obviously gained at least a portion of his reiatsu back over the years.

They stopped in front of a building Rukia knew quite well, and she had to hold back a gasp as the memories came rushing back.

Kurosaki Clinic.

"Well, let's-" Hitsyguya started, but was cut off abruptly when the door swung open to reveal a young woman, a little girl's hand in her own.

"Thank you so much for all the help Mr. Kurosaki. You're a life-savior! I really cannot thank you enough for seeing me. Yuki was so sick, I didn't know what else to do." She explained.

"Believe me, it's no trouble. I'm just happy she's feeling better." The group of shinigami froze, practically holding their breath as they watched a head of familiar orange, albeit faded, hair come into view.

"It's getting pretty late. How about I walk you two home? I'll feel better knowing you got their safe." They watched, fascinated, as Ichigo walked forward to lean slightly out the doorway. The shinigami were shocked to say the least. Ichigo didn't look a day over 40. His once shocking orange hair was now tinged with silver and his eyes were still a rich shade of brown, only now their depths held a lifetime of wisdom. He was dressed almost professionally in a pair of dark slacks, with a dark blue button up and a white lab coat hanging loosely from his shoulders. It was mildly shocking, to say the least.

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly-" The mother began, but Ichigo held up a hand, silencing her protests.

"Please, I insist. Humor an old man, would you?" He joked, already locking the front door behind him. He turned and smiled kindly at the mother and daughter beside him.

"I'm serious. It's no trouble at all, and I want to make sure my favorite patient gets home safe. Isn't that right, Yuki-chan?" He asked, leaning down slightly to address the child directly. The girl, Yuki, smiled widely in return.

"MHM! Kaa-san, can he please walk with us? Please!?" She begged, tugging on her mother's hand slightly. The girls mother looked at her with a mixture of amusement and exasperation before turning back to look at Ichigo.

"Are you sure? It's not that far, and I really wouldn't want to put you out." She said carefully.

"I'm positive. Absolutely no trouble at all." Ichigo said good-naturedly, a small smile gracing his lips. "Lead the way, Mita-san."

"Ayumi." The woman corrected, smiling gently. Ichigo nodded in return. "Ayumi-san."

Rukia watched, shocked, as Ichigo started down the road with Ayumi and Yuki. She still hadn't gotten over his appearance, let alone his attitude. The rest of her little group seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"...Holy shit." Renji muttered, staring open mouthed at Ichigo's retreating figure. Even Byakuya seemed at a loss for words. At least for the moment. Unfortunately not everyone was stunned into silence.

"Hot DAMN he aged well!" Rangiku nearly shouted, shock and even envy evident in her tone. "When I get older, I wanna look that good."  
Her shout seemed to have snapped the other shinigami out of their stupor. Yumichika nodded in agreement with Rangiku while Hitsuguya shook his head absently.

"We've got a job to do, remember. Let's go." He ordered, hurrying to catch up with the trio that had almost disappeared around the corner ahead. The rest scrambled after him, still trying to wrap their heads around what they had just witnessed.

'Well, that definitely wasn't what I expected.' Rukia thought to herself, still thoroughly stunned. Shaking her head, she ran to catch up with the rest of her team, disappearing around the corner after them.

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**Sorry for the short chapter. I sat down and wrote this one on a whim, and it's 2 am right now. I'll try and update again later...today, I suppose. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed and either Favorited or followed. And again, I'm so sorry about the suckish formatting. :( I did my best to space it out a bit more. So R and R if you have a chance. **


	3. Chapter 3: Close Calls

Ichigo Kurosaki smiled lightly as Yuki started telling her mother about an upcoming fair that her school would soon be holding. He truly enjoyed being around children, especially children like little Yuki. She was without a doubt his favorite patient. Fantastic temperament, intelligent, and absolutely adorable. Even at her young age of seven she already had more charm and overall charisma than most adults possessed, and Ichigo knew it would serve her well later in life. Her mother, in Ichigo's opinion, had done an absolutely fantastic job raising her.

'It's a shame her father isn't alive to see what a darling girl she's turned out to be,' He thought absently. A sudden tug on his coat broke Ichigo from his thoughts, and he glanced down at the child questioning. Yuki huffed playfully in return.

"Awwww, you weren't listening to me?" She asked, a whine tinging her otherwise playful tone. Ichigo smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry Yuki-chan. You were saying?" The child beamed at him, grabbing his hand absently as she walked beside him.

"My school is having a fair at the end of the month. There's gonna be games and food and a bunch of other stuff. You're gonna go right? Please?" She asked, looking up at him beseechingly. However, before Ichigo had a chance to respond, her mother cut in.

"Yuki! I'm sure Mr. Kurosaki is busy, don't trouble him." She admonished the child, embarrassed. She opened her mouth to continue when Ichigo held up a hand, silencing her protests for the moment.

"No no, I'm honestly not that busy and I would love to attend. I need to get out of the house more anyway. Thank you for letting me know Yuki-chan. I'll be there." Ichigo said sincerely. Yuki looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Promise?" She asked, holding her pinky out expectantly. Ichigo chuckled before linking his pinky with her own.

"Promise."

Ayumi looked on in bemusement. A part of her was embarrassed that her daughter was so insistent on bother the older man, but another part of her was grateful that he seemed to genuinely enjoy her child's presence, putting up with all her questions and games every time they saw each other. The child absolutely adored him, and vice-verse. Shaking her head, she gestured for her daughter to take her hand again.

"C'mon sweetie. We need to get going, I'd rather we not keep Mr. Kurosaki out to late, and I still need to make dinner." She said, smiling palicatingly down at her daughter, who took her hand after a mere moments hesitation.

"What're we havin' for dinner, kaa-san?" She asked questioningly, tilting her face up to stare questioningly at her mother.

"Curry." Ayumi said simply, waiting for her daughter's inevitable reaction. And she was not disappointed.

"YAY! CURRY!" The child practically shouted, jerking her hand out of her mothers to run ahead. Ayumi sighed good naturedly, keeping an eye on her daughter as she turned to glance apologetically at Ichigo, who had been watching the exchange with silent amusement.

"I'm sorry," she began sheepishly, but Ichigo cut her off politely.

"It's really no-" But whatever he was about to say was cut off by a high pitched scream. He whirled around, immediately zeroing in on Yuki, who was standing, frozen in the middle of the road. A truck bearing down on her.

Ayumi's shriek of horror barely registered as Ichigo raced forward, senses going into overdrive as he closed the distance between himself and the paralyzed child. Tires squealed against the pavement as the driver slammed on the brakes, but Ichigo already knew he would never stop in time to avoid Yuki, who had a look of panicked shock on her face.

Ichigo lunged forward, moving far better than any supposed 77 year old should be able to. His arms closed around the child's prone figure protectively, his momentum still propelling him forward. He instinctively rolled, hitting the pavement with more force than he'd originally figured as he kept himself between the child and the concrete beneath. When they finally came to a stop he sat up carefully, Yuki still held tightly to his chest. The girl had her small fists bunched in the material of his shirt, an expression of terror still locked on her face. He unconsciously looked her over for injuries, which were blessedly absent. Besides a few scrapes and bruises, and some emotional trauma of course, she had escaped unscathed.

"Are you alright, Yuki-chan?" Ichigo asked carefully, wanting to make sure there weren't any injuries he hadn't noticed. The child stared at him uncomprehendingly for a moment before nodding vigorously, tears starting to stream down her dirt smeared face.

"I...I thought I was... it just..." She gasped nonsensically before burying her head in the crook of his neck, sobbing pitifully. Ichigo frowned in understanding and hugged her tighter to his chest, standing carefully. He quickly cataloged the aches, cuts, and bruises he'd acquired from this particular feat.

'Hmm... bruised ribs at least, I think I may have sprained my wrist as well. Seems to be the worst of it though.' He thought blandly, still more concerned about the child in his arms than any injuries he may have suffered.

He'd had far, far worse.

Ichigo was broken from his thoughts by the unmistakable sounds of panic and the screams of on-lookers.

"YUKI!? YUKI!?" He recognized Ayumi's voiced and walked carefully around the van, mindful of his injuries and Yuki as she clung to him. The second he rounded the van he was met by Ayumi's tearful face.

"Oh my-! Yuki!" She gasped, moving to take her daughter from Ichigo, who willingly handed her over. "Oh thank God you're okay! I thought I lost you! Don't you EVER scare me like that again, understand me?! EVER!" She half shouted at the child, who sobbed harder in response. Ayumi then turned her gaze upon Ichigo, who smiled wanly in return.

"You saved my daughter's life. How can I ever repay you?" She asked, hugging him fiercely. Ichigo smiled kindly in response.

"It was no big deal, honestly. I'm just happy I got there in time." He said carefully, eyes shining with relief. Ayumi said nothing in response, but nodded absently, and look in her eyes promising this wasn't over, and moved towards a waiting ambulance. An EMT moved towards him but Ichigo waved him off, turning to walk back towards his house.

'Huh. Well, that was interesting.' He thought wryly, completely oblivious to the shocked shinigami mere feet from him.

* * *

"Oh my god." Rukia gasped, clutching her chest as her heart attempted to practically beat out of it. Her companions seemed to be having similar reactions, a range of expressions from panic to horror tinged relief evident in their expressions. Byakuya was the first to recover himself.

"Well, nice to know that his willingness to kill himself hasn't dissipated." He said almost sarcastically. Rukia glanced at him, surprised. But then again, they had all developed a certain fondness for Ichigo, so it shouldn't have been all that surprising at this point.

"...This will be a nerve-wracking two weeks if things continue like this. And with Kurosaki involved, I think it's safe to say this won't be the last incident." Hitsuguya stated. The rest nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's get a move on. We obviously can't let this idiot out of our sight." Ikkaku said in mock annoyance. Yumichika nodded decisively beside him.

"And it hasn't even been an hour." He added as he and Ikkaku disappeared after Ichigo. Renji ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"Nothing can ever be easy with that kid. Geez, c'mon Rukia. They're right." He said, already moving to catch up with the other two, Rangiku trailing behind him. With Hitsuguya and Byakuya already making their way down the street, Rukia frowned infinitesimally.

'I'm happy he saved the girl, but...' She forced the thought to the back of her mind, refusing to finish it, before running after the rest of her team.

She really needed to stop spacing out.

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**Once, more thanks for all the amazing reviews and to everyone who favorited, followed, or just read this in general. I tried making this a longer chapter, don't know if I succeeded, but I tried. Hope it was moderately interesting. ^^;; Believe me, I didn't just write this for the hell of it either! So, as always, read, review, and tell me what you thought please.**

**(Btw, did the formatting seem any better? I'm trying to fix it, but I have to go in manually and do it, so it doesn't always turn out how I'd like it.)**


	4. Chapter 4: Photograph

Ichigo frowned, hissing quietly as he attempted to treat the minor injuries he had received earlier that evening. His wrist, as he had originally suspected, was sprained. He had set it easily enough, and then turned to the slightly more pressing issue of his ribs. What he had originally thought to be bruising had turned out to be a cracked rib, which was now the cause of his rather uncomfortable predicament.

"Fuck..." He hissed, pained. As the adrenaline had worn off, the pain had become more and more apparent, unable to be ignored. It wasn't remotely close to his worst injuries of his youth, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch. Besides, he reasoned, when he had gotten those injuries he had been a teenager. A young man in his prime. Not a seventy-seven year old physician, living alone in the family clinic.

Ichigo winced as he pushed himself to his feet, his ribs aching with every movement. Hell, just breathing was killing him. Ignoring the jolts of pain as best he could, Ichigo walked to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of pain killers, popping two into his mouth and swallowing them dry. Satisfied, he walked back over to the couch to settle down for the night, not daring to even attempt to concur the stairs tonight.

'With my luck, I'd fall and break a damn hip.' He thought absently. 'Heh. If Rukia could see me now.'

Reaching for the remote, a movement to his right caught his eye. Turning curiously, Ichigo was confronted with his own reflection in the mirror on the wall beside him, which his niece had insisted 'Just made the room!' Frowning slightly, he studied his own reflection for the first time in weeks, if not months.

He was not pleased with what he saw.

It had become apparent when Ichigo was in his late thirties that something just wasn't right. His friends had all shown signs of aging as the years progressed, each one adding new sets of laugh lines, graying hair, and unique aches and pains usually associated with old age. However, Ichigo had not experienced any of these. While his friends once vibrant shades of blue-black, orange, and brown hair turned silvery-white with age, Ichigo's had still been as obnoxiously bright as always. They had originally chalked it up to luck and good genetics, but as time went on it became apparent that Ichigo just didn't appear to be aging at all. Or at least, no where near as quickly. Even though they all knew Ichigo was nearly eighty years old, physically he didn't even appear forty. It had bothered him to no end, watching his friends wither with age while he still appeared to be in his prime. He had eventually sought out Urahara, who shed some rather disturbing light on the subject.

Looking at himself now, Ichigo was still thoroughly disgruntled with his appearance. His hair was still a bright, almost neon orange, now with just a touch of silver here and there. His eyes were the same rich chocolate brown, albeit much wiser, still brimming with the spark of youth that his friends had slowly lost. He had minimal, if any wrinkles. His skin was still as flawless as it was in his childhood, broken only by the silvery scars of battle. He had never dealt with the illnesses or pitfalls of age, and that bothered him on some level. Why should he be different? Why was he allowed to remain youthful and energetic while his friends were confined to their beds, unable to experience all that the world had to offer?

However, Ichigo thought sullenly, Urahara had eventually solved that mystery as well. According to the ex-captain, though Ichigo had 'lost' his shinigami powers in the battle against Aizen, that did not mean that his powers were gone permanently. Far from it actually. Instead, they had been sealed within the very depths of his soul, or so he said. That meant that his obscene amount of reiatsu was, essentially, still there. And like any shinigami, this helped to slow his aging process significantly. Not to the same extent as a full-fledged shingami, of course, but still significantly enough that he didn't look half his goddamn age.

Shaking his head, Ichigo let out a calming breath. He refused to get pissed off just because he took a walk down memory lane. Rolling his eyes, he turned away from the disconcerting reflection and flipped on the television.

Exhaustion took over, and he was asleep within minutes.

* * *

Rukia and the others watched with varying degrees of interest as Ichigo finally fell asleep. His muscles relaxing as he finally succumbed to exhaustion. Peering closer, Rukia could already see the violent purple bruises forming under his skin.

"He's gonna hurt tomorrow." She muttered absently, unable to tear her eyes away from the boy- no, man- that she had not seen in over 60 years. Now that she finally had a chance to study him, she could see the slight changes that had not been there in his youth.

His face had lost the last traces of it's childhood roundness, making him appear much more adult than the last time she'd seen him. There were a few new scars, including one particularly nasty looking one above his collar bone. He had only the slightest signs of age, otherwise looking very much like he had in his youth.

While the other shinigami discussed god knows what, Rukia stood up and made her way, unnoticed, to a set of bookshelves nearby. Glancing over the contents disinterestedly, her eyes suddenly caught sight of a book with the words 'Photo Album' etched across the side in swirling gold script. Intrigued, she extracted it from the slightly overcrowded shelf and dropped to sit cross legged, her back against the wall, leaning her right side on the bookshelf.

Cracking open the slightly dusty green cover, Rukia was immediately greeted with unfamiliar, semi-messy scrawl, which covered the inside of the cover itself. Taking a moment to get used to the handwriting, Rukia was slowly able to make sense of the chicken-scratch.

_'Ojii-san,_  
_It's your favorite granddaughter, Sayomi(1). What a surprise, huh? (note the sarcasm, old man.)_  
_As always, I had absolutely no clue what the fuck to get you. Shocking, isn't it? I mean really, how do I shop for someone_ _old enough to have hunted dinosaurs?_  
_But, I digress._  
_So anyway, as I always do in any situation that requires "sincere, heartfelt thought," I asked Kaa-san. And this is what she suggested._  
_I know, what the fuck it this? Well, get over it. You better appreciate the hell outta this. _  
_Happy birthday, old man. Don't leave me outta the will._  
_-Love, Sayomi_

_P.S. DON'T show Kaa-san this. I'll be grounded until I'm YOUR age. And that will be quite the feat in itself. :)'_

By the end of the scribbled note, Rukia was in hysterics. The girl obviously took after Ichigo, and she could just imagine the fights that had ensued from any and all contact the two had. They both seemed beyond stubborn, commanding respect yet almost inadvertently disrespecting others. She had to meet this kid.

The other shinigami looked up at the pealing laughter that rang through the room, ringing in the silence like a bell. Renji was the first to stand up and make his way over to where Rukia sat, curled around a book in her lap. She didn't hear his approach, to focused on getting much-needed oxygen back into her lungs. He frowned when all he saw was a page worth of large, messy scribble, but read through it anyway in an attempt to understand what had set his shorter companion off. By the time he finished reading, he had joined Rukia on the floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, tears of mirth starting to slide down his cheeks.

The rest of the shinigami approached almost cautiously, unsure as to what could have set the two off. However, after reading Sayomi's note, they ended up lounging on the floor with the two friends, all recovering from the hilarity of the rather ironic situation.

Imagine, a child to rival Ichigo.

Oh, the humanity.

"...So anyway, what is that book?" Hitsuguya asked, a little breathless from the laughter. Rukia smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she opened the first page.

"It's a photo album." She said simply. That was all it took for the other shinigami to sit up and crowd around her, curious as to what the strawberry had been up to over the years.

Most of the photo's consisted of children. Nieces, nephews, and grandchildren mostly, if the labels were correct. Though his friends also appeared in many of them. There were pictures of Ichigo holding infants and toddlers alike, smiling slightly as he held them in his arms. There were scenes where he played lively games of soccer at what appeared to be family picnics, tucked his children in, gave his daughters away at their weddings, everything. The shinigami marveled at the life the boy had obviously led, impressed by the photos of Ichigo graduating college or other accomplishments during his medical career.

But what stunned them all into silence was a single picture of what could only be his wedding.

In the photo, Ichigo stood tall, hair standing out in startling contrast to the black of his suit. Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Uryu stood in a line off to his side, all dressed in tuxedos and looking incredibly proud of their friend. Across from Ichigo stood an absolutely gorgeous woman. Her glossy raven hair fell in loose ringlets down her back, a white lace veil fell almost lovingly around her heart shaped face, reminding Rukia of pure snow on ebony. Face turned upward to gaze at Ichigo lovingly, lips set in a soft, heartrendingly beautiful smile as her blue (Rukia noticed in muted shock) eyes glowed with happiness. An absolutely stunning wedding dress outlined her petite, distinctly feminine shape to perfection, drawing lacy patterns across her pale skin. She was half a head shorter than Ichigo, but her dizzying beauty made up for the height. Behind her, a line of bridesmaids stood in matching black lace dresses, smiling at their friend.

They were perfection, plain and simple.

While the other shinigami 'oooo-ed' and 'ahhhh-ed' over Ichigo's wife, Rukia frowned uncomfortably. She clutched her chest, unnoticed by the otherwise preoccupied group. The shock she felt at the idea of Ichigo actually falling in love was no where near the envy she had for the elusive woman in the photo. The downright effortless beauty, the grace she obviously possessed just by the way she held herself, the overwhelming confidence spoke volumes.

And Rukia was beyond jealous of her.

'Now that I think about it,' She thought angrily, 'I know almost nothing about Ichigo now. What kind of life he lived, who he fell in love with, anything.'

Shaking her head, she looked over at her long time friend, oblivious to the world. Her previous anger melted away almost immediately, a soft smile slowly made it's way onto her face as she watched him sleep, an almost childlike innocence replacing the world-weary frown he usually wore.

She would let it go, at least for the time being. And when the time came, when he was ready to confide everything in her, she would be waiting, ready to listen.

No matter how long it took.

* * *

**(1) I read somewhere that Sayomi meant night-born, though do not take my word for the absolute. However, I'm going to go with**  
**the idea that it does. This does have a meaning, so remember this later.**

**Once more, thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed. It's amazing, as a writer, to open up my inbox and read all the fantastic things that people have taken the time to convey to me, whether it be praise or criticism. It's definitely been motivating me to update regularly, and to improve my techniques. So thank you very much.**

**This chapter was more history than anything else. I wanted to find some way to ease into the idea of Ichigo's aging-without-aging deal, and I wanted to add in some of his life in the world of the living as well. I hope you all find this remotely interesting...**

**I also attempted to write a longer chapter and re-format the chapter (again, manually). I hope it worked out. Is it descriptive enough? Or does anyone think that my explanations/details were inadequate? If so, please do not hesitate to tell me.**

**So anyway, I need to go to bed, because I have to be up in a few hours for work. Joy. Read, Review, etc. etc. please. **


	5. Chapter 5: Introducing!

The shrill ringing of a phone was the first thing Ichigo heard when he woke up. Groaning quietly, he forced himself into a sitting position, running a hand through his sleep tousled locks. The phone continued to blare obnoxiously as Ichigo willed himself off the couch, wincing at the severe ache in his ribs, and made his way towards the phone in the kitchen. Jerking the device off the cradle, Ichigo made his way to the medicine cabinet across the hall.

"Hello?" He asked drowsily, voice thick with the remnants of sleep.

"Ah! Mr. Kurosaki! I'm so sorry, did I wake you up?" A voice asked frantically from across the line. It took Ichigo a moment to put a name to it, but when he did he was pleasantly surprised.

"Ayumi-san? Ohaiyo. No, it's fine. I just woke up anyway." He lied smoothly. "Oh, and if I've never mentioned it before, Ichigo is fine. Mr. Kurosaki was my father."

"Heh. Ok then, _Ichigo_." She said jokingly. "I was just calling to make sure you're alright. I know you hit the pavement rather hard..." She trailed off slightly, obviously remembering the gut wrenching terror of nearly losing her little girl. Ichigo cleared his throat softly to bring her back to reality before answering.

"I'm perfectly fine," He assured her, absently scanning the medicine cabinet for some much needed pain killers. Triumphant, he popped two into his mouth, swallowing them easily and replacing the bottle back on it's shelf.

"I'm glad you're okay." Ayumi said sincerely. "I'm also very, very thankful." Ichigo allowed himself a soft smile before replying.

"Honestly Ayumi-san, it's really no big deal. You don't need to thank me. Though I'll admit, it's nice to hear it once in awhile." He joked, trying to lighten the suddenly somber conversation. Ayumi took the hint.

"Well, if you say so..." She agreed slowly. "Ah, before I forget, Yuki want's to know if you still plan on attending her school fair. She's been babbling about it all morning." Laughing silently, Ichigo paused to lean against the kitchen counter, scanning the calender hanging on the fridge across from him.

"Of course I am. Just tell me when it is and I'll be there." He promised. Ayumi sighed quietly.  
"You really don't have to go if you don't want to. I know you're a busy man, Ichigo." She practically whispered into the phone, probably in an attempt to remain unheard by her daughter. Ichigo hummed in acknowledgment.

"I want to Ayumi-san. So, when is it?" He asked, leaving no room for argument. Ayumi grumbled in response, earning a chuckle from Ichigo.

"It's actually... tomorrow." Ayumi said hesitantly. "I know Yuki said at the end of the month, I didn't think to correct her because I hadn't realized it WAS the end of the month already."

"That's understandable. I'll be there. What time does it start?" He asked curiously.  
"It starts at approximately 4:30, it'll end about 8:30, but show up whenever you have time I suppose. Sorry to cut you off, but I actually have to run. I have work in an hour." She apologized quickly.

"It's fine. Have a nice day, Ayumi-san. Tell Yuki-chan I'll see her tomorrow."

"I will. See you tomorrow, Ichigo." Then the line went dead. Shaking his head at the younger woman's antics, Ichigo set the phone back in it's cradle. As he made to turn away, he noticed the message light was flashing. Blinking curiously, he clicked the button to play the message.

"Ohaiyo, tou-san. It's Hikari. I couldn't seem to get up with you, so you must've been asleep, huh? Anyway, I have to go out of town last minute for work, so if you don't mind I'm sending Sayomi over to stay with you while I'm gone. I would have her stay with a friend or something, and I don't want to bother you, but our good friends are actually either out of town or on vacation. I'm really sorry, if you need anything don't hesitate to call me, and if she gets out of line then beat her ass back in place. I'll call you later tonight, Love you!"

A beep signaled the end of the message. Shaking his head, he made his way back towards the living room, intent on relaxing until the brat arrived. He'd just made it to the doorway when a series of sharp knocks sounded, altering his course from the living room to the front door. He jerked it open irritably, only to be confronted with the scowling face of his granddaughter, Sayomi.

"That was fast." He commented, stepping aside to allow Sayomi in. She shouldered past him, grunting in answer, and disappeared into the living room. Sighing, Ichigo closed the door and followed the short-tempered teen into the room, where he bumped into her as she stood frozen in the doorway.

"...Sayomi? You alright?" He asked, making his way around the girl to see what was wrong. She threw her arm out, barring him from the room, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the bookcase in the across from them. Or more accurately, the area around the bookcase.

"Who the fuck are you people?!"

* * *

Rukia and the others stared, wide eyed at the child before them. The girl had taken up a defensive stance in front of a horribly confused Ichigo, who kept staring between his granddaughter and the spot she was currently scowling at. Frowning, Rukia took a small step forward, only for the girl to pin her with a glare rivaling Ichigo's. Rukia froze, stepping back again. No one spoke for a moment, until Hitsugaya cleared his throat expectantly. The girl snapped around to glare at the white haired captain, obviously unimpressed. Frowning, Hitsugaya took a moment to study the child before him.

She looked shocking similar to Ichigo, that much was apparent. She had bright orange hair, identical to her grandfather's, that fell in soft spikes down past her shoulders, reminding him of Ichigo when he had finished training in the Dangai. Her wide, rich brown eyes were narrowed dangerously as she stood between Ichigo and the people she perceived as a threat. Her jaw was softer than that of her grandfathers, and her features were, of course, distinctly feminine in nature, but otherwise she bore a striking resemblance to the man behind her. Even her clothing resembled that of the ex- substitute. A midnight blue v-neck, dark gray skinny jeans, and a black zip-up hoodie. The only difference were the shoes; instead of Ichigo's signature trainers, she had black combat boots, her skinny jeans tucked within. A silver pendant glinted teasingly from it's place around her throat. Toshiro could see the outline of her black eyeliner and dark gray (silver?) eye shadow, which only seemed to further highlight her natural beauty.

Though, he mused, the 'Kurosaki scowl' has obviously been passed on.

Toshiro opened his mouth to speak, but the girl seemed to have come to a decision. Without taking her eyes off them she turned slightly to address Ichigo, who was still standing behind her, looking both annoyed and confused as hell.

"Why don't you go upstairs for awhile, eh old man?" She suggested carefully. "I have some...business to take care of." Ichigo studied  
his granddaughter apprehensively before nodding and exiting the room, footsteps fading as he disappeared up the stairs. The shinigami turned their attention back on the girl, who had not taken her eyes off them for a moment, her eyes gleaming with the intensity of a furious tiger. Promising bloodshed should she see fit. Motioning for the silent team to take a seat, Sayomi settled to lean  
against the wall.

"Now, you have exactly three minutes to tell me EXACTLY what you're doing in my grandfather's house. If your answer is less than satisfactory, I will personally end you. Understood?" She practically growled the last word. Rukia and the others nodded cautiously, not daring to speak in fear of setting the girl off.

"Good. Now, start talking." She replied. "And let's make one thing perfectly clear. If you are here to harm the old man in any way, shape, or form, you can kiss the afterlife, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, goodbye."

"...Before we start, who exactly are you?" Toshiro asked slowly, curious as to which grandchild this was. The girl studied him impassively before tilting her head infinitesimally to the left.

"Sayomi Kurosaki."

'...Fuck.'

* * *

**As always thanks for all the support everyone! I know this was a short, rather uneventful chapter, but believe me, everything will really start to kick off now that Sayomi has shown up. She is probably the single most important OC in this entire fic. So, I know it was more conversation than anything, but it had to be done. Plus, I wrote this chapter at a family dinner, so if it sucks I apologize. Hyper three year old's and writing do not mix. Ever. **

**So again, I apologize for the short chapter, and as an apology will make sure the next one is (much) longer! (and more entertaining.)**

**As always, please read, review, and tell me what you thought. I'm going to bed (I have the morning shift at work... *dies*)**


	6. Chapter 6: Explanations

The room was dead silent, save for the ticking of the clock in the hallway. Rukia sat nervously, waiting for some reaction from Sayomi. Seriously, she was putting statues to shame. Rukia watched from the corner of her eye as Renji fidgeted nervously, twisting and untwisting his shihakusho. Rangiku was uncharacteristically serious, studying Sayomi with obvious interest. Yumichika seemed to be openly ogling the her, unable to look away from the orange haired human before him. Ikkaku was glancing around awkwardly, annoyed with the whole situation apparently. Byakuya appeared relatively uninterested, but Rukia could detect the subtle curiosity hidden in the way he regarded her. Toshiro,however, seemed to have engaged in a staring contest of sorts. Neither of them so much as blinked, unwilling to look away from the other lest they admit defeat. After a few minutes of tense silence, Sayomi let out a breath, running a hand through her unruly orange locks as she muttered a string of expletives. Pushing off the wall, she stood at her full height and scowled at the shinigami before her.

"So, you're telling me that you're all shinigami, which, I remind you, was a bedtime story for me once upon a time. And you mean to tell me that the old man was probably the single most bad ass shinigami of all time. And that you're here on a mission to escort him to Soul Society or whatever the hell it is when he finally kicks it. Which, according to you, will be within the nest week or two. Is that right?" She asked, a dangerous glint in her eyes. Toshiro was the first to work up the courage to answer her.

"Precisely." He replied carefully. "Your grandfather is an important ally to soul society and a close friend to many of the shinigami who reside there. He is a hero of sorts in soul society, famous by all accounts, and admired by many. I can assure you, he'll be in good hands." By the end of his reply, Toshiro had taken on an almost soothing tone, in hopes of placating the fuming Sayomi. However, the girl was obviously beyond the point of calming down. She leveled a glare that gave even Toshiro chills and before turning her gaze on Rukia, who quickly grew uncomfortable with the laser-like intensity with which Sayomi scrutinized her. She could feel the sympathetic glances of her team as the seemingly endless silence stretched on.

"...And you expect me to just allow this?" Sayomi suddenly asked, the whispered question chilling the shinigami to the core. Byakuya cast a startled glance at the child. The tone she had used and the way she had worded the question unsettled him. However, before he could say anything Toshiro had cut in.

"I promise you, if we could avoid this we would. As I said, Ichigo is a friend of ours, and we'd rather not bear witness to his end. However, it is unavoidable. It would happen even if we had not shown up. We're just here to ensure Ichigo safe passage into Soul Society." He said carefully, gauging Sayomi's reaction. She remained silent, bangs falling to shield her eyes from the scrutiny of the individuals before her. Taking a few minutes to recompose herself, Sayomi looked up and locked eyes with Toshiro, the unwavering truthful gaze oddly comforting. She sighed softly, running her hand through her hair for what felt like the millionth time in the past hour. Yes, she knew she had originally said three minutes, but that had flown out the window, understandably, when Toshiro and the others began recounting the story that had brought them here.

"Hah... if I...allow this," She started brokenly, "Will I ever see him again? And I don't mean 'when it's my time' or any of that bullshit. Will I be able to meet up with him? To visit him or vice-verse?" Anyone with a brain could detect the tinge of desperation laced into her question. And while they didn't know how close the two truly were, it was obvious that her grandfather was immensely important to her. However, they were not going to offer her false promises or half truths. Ichigo wouldn't have appreciated it, and neither would Sayomi.

"Well..." Toshiro hesitated, but Byakuya cut in smoothly. "We will do our best to plead your case with the Head Captain. Though we cannot guarantee that you will be granted visitation rights, we can promise you that we will defend your right to see him." He said firmly, allowing a hint of kindness to seep into his tone, which only Rukia detected. Byakuya knew loss, and she knew he would do his best to prevent someone else from going through that agony so unnecessarily. Especially if it was someone he knew. Definitely one of his finer, if not unappreciated qualities.

Rukia was ripped from her drifting thoughts by the soft hum of consideration from Sayomi. She searched Byakuya's face for any hint of deception, and when she found none slowly nodded in acceptance. The shinigami watched sympathetically as Sayomi's whole demeanor changed; as she was burdened with the knowledge that someone she was so close to would soon be lost to her, possibly 'forever.' But, she didn't complain. Instead choosing to bottle up the agony she was feeling. Lock it away in the back of her mind until she was forced to confront it.

"So you all knew the old man back when he was my age?" She asked inquisitively, sliding down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped comfortably around herself as her head rested on her arms, face tilted up to peer questioningly at the shinigami before her. They all nodded in unison, sensing the change in Sayomi's attitude towards them, allowing themselves to finally relax in her presence. Rangiku walked over to sit next to the younger girl, who stiffened momentarily before forcing herself to relax again. Yumichika soon joined them, still unable to stop looking at Sayomi, who appeared oblivious to the attention. Rukia cleared her throat softly, gaining the attention of the orange haired girl.

"Yes, to answer your question. We knew him quite well." She said, smiling nostalgically as she thought back to everything that Ichigo had done for them, and the friendships they had formed with the ex-substitute because of it.

"It all started when I was hunting a hollow here in the World of the Living," She began. "Ichigo was fifteen."

* * *

About thirty minutes into Rukia's (detailed) recount of the events that transpired after meeting Ichigo, she suddenly cut off. The small group listened as the sound of footsteps grew closer, until Ichigo stood in the doorway. He raised a brow at his granddaughters position on the floor but said nothing, trusting her to know what she was doing.

She wasn't just any girl, after all.

"I'm running to the store to grab something for dinner tonight. Anything requests?" He asked nonchalantly. Sayomi pondered her choices for a moment before seeming to make a decision.

"Curry." She replied simply. Ichigo nodded and walked down the hall, casting one last protective glance at his granddaughter before exiting the house. Silence reigned for a moment before Byakuya stood, seemingly without warning, and departed to follow and keep an eye on Ichigo. Sayomi glanced questioningly at the remaining shinigami, but when they offered no explanation decided to drop the issue. She instead gestured for Rukia to continue her story. Sayomi was soon enthralled with tales of her grandfather's youth.

'Huh. Guess he isn't such an old man after all.'

* * *

**Ugh. Couldn't frigging sleep. I was to hyped to start getting things started. So I'll have to rearrange the chapter layout for my plot a little bit to make up for my eagerness (stupidity). But anyway... A little more background on the shinigami and the type of person that Sayomi is. This was originally going to be part of a HUGE chapter, but after laying in bed thinking about it I decided to do this part by itself. I think it says a lot for her. But we'll be back to an Ichigo centered fic after this chapter! (for the most part anyway.) I just wanted to give some background.**

**A few people have expressed concerns about the OC's in the story. Fear not. In most, if not all my (original) stories, OC's do not majorly affect the plot. That tends to bother me. My OC's only purpose is usually to add a little variety, a little humor, to fill a character slot (so to speak), or to help develop the plot itself simply by being around, much like Sayomi will do. She is honestly just meant to speed the plot up a little. Trust me, she is NOT a main character, though she is a moderately important supporting character. So don't worry people. Contrary to popular belief, I do have an idea of what I'm doing :)**


	7. Chapter 7: Instincts

Ichigo sighed tiredly, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. What he had originally intended to be a quick trip to the grocery store had quickly turned into practically an all day outing. He felt horrible for leaving Sayomi alone, but he really had needed to go shopping lately, so he'd decided to grab some much needed items while he was out and about. Plus, he mused, she had seemed rather at ease with whoever she was talking to. And considering that he had practically raised her to be...wary of spirits, that said quite a bit. It's not that he wasn't concerned or curious. Quite the opposite actually, he was beyond anxious all day, unsure as to what could have surprised his little protege, but he was also certain that whatever it was, it's intentions were not to harm Sayomi or himself. He didn't know how he knew, he could just did.

He could feel it in his soul.

"Mr. Kurosaki!" A voice suddenly exclaimed, breaking him out of his musing. Turning around, he was surprised to see Yuki running towards him, her mother close behind. When they reached him, Yuki threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his leg. Smiling he set the bags down in favor of hugging her back.

"Yuki-chan, konnichiwa." He said kindly, studying the child for a moment for any lingering injuries. She didn't appear to have any real injuries, and the bruises seemed to be disappearing already. Her light brown hair, which had always reminded him of Yuzu when she was younger, fell in soft curls to her shoulders, masking the cuts on the side of her face. Her deep brown eyes were still filled with childhood wonder, a near death experience hadn't changed that. She flashed him a blinding smile, which he had dubbed her thousand watt smile, revealing a set of perfectly straight white teeth. Her short sleeved pink T-shirt was covered by a long black jacket, ending mid thigh, and a set of dark jeans hid any other bruises or scrapes she may have acquired. A white and pink set of trainers peeked out from beneath the hem of her jeans.

In truth, he wouldn't have known that she had nearly died if he hadn't been there.

"Konnichiwa! Kaa-san said you're still going to the fair tomorrow, that true? You're still going, right Mr. Kurosaki?" She asked adorably, looking up at him with wide brown eyes. Ichigo chuckled internally before answering.

"Of course I'm still going. I promised, didn't I?" He asked rhetorically. "Oh, and before I forget, just call me Ichigo, alright Yuki-chan?" Yuki looked up at him with hopeful eyes before flashing him another blinding smile.

'This one is gonna be such a heart breaker.' He thought absently, smiling softly at the thought.

"Ichigo-onii-sama...?" She made it sound like a question. Ichigo laughed quietly in response, nodding. Her eyes lit up at his answer.

* * *

Ayumi, who had been watching the exchange with interest, smiled at the interaction between Ichigo and her daughter. He seemed to have such a way with children. Yuki had always been such a shy child, but from the day she had met Ichigo, she had become such a happy and outgoing little girl. And Ayumi was so thankful that her daughter had finally gained to courage to be herself.

Ichigo and Yuki looked up when Ayumi cleared her throat expectantly. Yuki's eyes widened i understanding, her mouth forming an adorable little scowl of embarrassment at forgetting what she had originally wanted to do. Turning to Ichigo, she tugged on the hem of his jacket to get his attention. Curious, Ayumi watched as he knelt down to her little girl's height. Yuki seemed to have some sort of mental debate before boldly meeting Ichigo's questioning gaze, pushing away any feelings of embarrassment or nervousness.

"Onii-sama, thank you very much for saving me yesterday." She said, bowing slightly for good measure. Ayumi looked at her daughter approvingly, pride radiating from her as Yuki thanked Ichigo, who in reply smiled at her kindly before pulling her in for a hug.

"It was no problem Yuki-chan. I'm just glad you're alright." He told her, giving her the same answer that he had given to her mother. Ayumi studied the man before her, puzzled as to why he was treating her daughter with so much respect, like she was another adult. It's not that Ayumi disliked it or wasn't grateful, but it surprised her. Most people would have babied the girl before them or humored her, but Ichigo seemed to be speaking sincerely, completely at ease with the girl before him.

Looking at him now, Ayumi was once again struck with how young he looked. Besides the tinge of silver in his otherwise brilliant orange locks, she would've thought he was in his mid twenties, earlier thirties at the most. I mean honestly, here was an 'old man,' as he'd called himself, talking to her daughter, dressed in dark blue skinny jeans, a short sleeved white v-neck, and white trainers. A black hoodie hung unzipped around his lithely muscled frame.

"...yumi-san? Ayumi-san?" Ayumi was broken from her thoughts (ogling) by Ichigo, who was looking at her curiously. Shaking away  
her errant thoughts, she nodded to show she was paying attention before glancing at her watch, gesturing for Yuki to take her hand when she noticed the time.

"Well Ichigo, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I actually need to do some shopping of my own." She said apologetically. Ichigo nodded easily in response.

"It's fine. See you tomorrow Ayumi, Yuki-chan." He said, turning to collect his bags.

"Bye Onii-sama! See you tomorrow!" Yuki called, twisting around to wave at the older man. Ichgo smiled and waved back until they were out of sight. Grabbing the last bag, he turned and set off for home, thoughts preoccupied with a certain mother- daughter duo.

* * *

Ichigo walked mindlessly through the streets of Karakura, his ability to navigate these streets like second nature, born from years of walking the same routes. He was completely lost in though, trapped in the past.

Yuki, he mused absently, really was so much like Yuzu when she was a child. Yuki was such a sweetheart. When he had first met her, she had been a painfully shy little girl of five, maybe six. Now, she was an outgoing, loud little girl of seven, going on eight. A complete change in less than two years. Ayumi, however, had changed quite a bit to.

When Ichigo had first encountered Ayumi, the first thing he noticed was how utterly tired she looked. Like life had done quite a number on her, and she was debating not getting up and fighting back, so to speak. Like she just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up. Her vibrant amber eyes had been dull, live less, dead. The curls that she shared with her daughter, though her hair was a dark brown, had hung in careless disarray. Her entire demeanor had screamed depression. After a few visits, Ichigo had started to get her to open up. When the whole story had come out, he had been shocked, to say the least.

She and her husband had moved to Karakura a few weeks before he met them, bringing Yuki along with them. However, about a week  
into the move her husband was killed in a hit and run. Devastated, she was suddenly burdened with the responsibilities of a single mother. Bills piled up, house work went undone, and she was pulling a double shift at work to try and cover the expenses. Yuki was forced to walk to school alone since her mother was at work all day. And before they even had a chance to get back on their feet, Ayumi was fired. The company she worked for saying that they had to downsize, and had let some people go. Unable to pay the bills, Ayumi was desperate and world-weary. When Yuki had gotten sick, she had no one else to turn to. So she had bundled her daughter up and walked the three blocks to the local family-owned clinic to beg for help. Ichigo had been more than happy to help. And they'd been friends ever since.

Ichigo recalled vividly how he'd finally gotten Ayumi to accept his help, and wrote her a prescription for anti-depressants, free of charge. He'd called in some favors at the high school and helped her get the teaching position she now held.

He'd never seen anyone look at him with that much disbelieving gratitude.

* * *

Smirking wryly at the memories, Ichigo absently pushed the door open, stepping into the hallway just in time to hear Sayomi's voice cut off abruptly. Ignoring the fact that she was having an actual conversation with a spirit, Ichigo turned and locked the door, flipping the 'open' sign to 'closed.'

"Brat! Ya wanna help me with these bags?" He called, shifting the weight to alleviate pressure on his wrist. Sayomi strolled into the hallway a moment later, leaning against the wall in amusement.

"Hmm. Why?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the right. "A few bags to much of a challenge for ya, old man?" Ichigo rolled his eyes at her antics, waiting for her to come help him. Sighing exasperatedly, she stepped forward and grabbed the heaviest bags before turning and striding into the kitchen. A raised an eyebrow at the lack of attitude but chalked it up to the fact that she apparently had company of sorts, and followed her into the kitchen, setting the bags on the counter as he started to pull out the ingredients for dinner.

Sayomi studied him for a moment, an unreadable look in her eyes before turning away to put the groceries away.

"So, what took ya so damn long?" She asked casually. "Get lost on the way home? Seems like you're getting senile, old man."

"Nah, just didn't want to spend time with a certain orange haired brat." He replied, an almost nonexistent smirk on his face. Sayomi scoffed.

"Su-re. Then why'd ya come back? Getting ready to go to bingo with the other senior citizens?" Ichigo rolled his eyes before turning to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Definitely. Unfortunately though, I had to cancel my plans. I can't very well leave a child alone, now can I? And I'm not paying for a baby sitter." Smirking at the look Sayomi shot him, he continued to go through his groceries. A companionable silence settled between the two, and Ichigo was once again struck by just how similar he and his granddaughter really were. Both enjoyed the solitary life to some small extent. They didn't need words to communicate. But something was still bothering Ichigo, who turned away from his task to fix his granddaughter with a no nonsense look.

"So, wanna tell me what all that was about earlier?" He asked, not taking his eyes of the girl before him. Sayomi froze for a nanosecond before shrugging nonchalantly, her orange locks falling into her eyes.

"Nothing." Her voice didn't hint at anything, but Ichigo knew it wasn't just 'nothing.' And the look he gave her proved as much. Sighing, she turned to face him.

"Look, it's really no big deal. You know I can see them, I was just surprised is all. I've never really seen anything around you, so it was a shock to suddenly walk in and see anything remotely supernatural." She explained, annoyance and something else, something Ichigo couldn't identify, seeping into her tone by the end of her explanation.

"...They haven't attacked you? Or done anything to make you uncomfortable?" He checked, wanting confirmation. Sayomi simply nodded, finished up the last bag and turning to leave. But Ichigo stopped her, grabbing her arm as she passed. He studied her eyes for a moment, searching for any signs of deception, but found none. She started back at him impassively.

"...If something was wrong you'd tell me, right?" He checked, his hand still on Sayomi's arm. She nodded in return, not trusting herself to say anything. Ichigo had always been able to read her like a book.

After a few moments of tense silence, Ichigo nodded in acquisition, stepping back and allowing his granddaughter to disappear though the doorway. Frowning to himself, he turned and began making dinner.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong.

* * *

**Woohoo, here's another (longer?) chapter. I should upload again by the end of the day. My boss called earlier, apparently he had to go out of town for some emergency, and since it's a family owned establishment work is cancelled until he gets back. Gives me time to write some more, so I can't complain :)**

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter at least a little bit :) I gotta run to the store, so I'll be back. As always, please Read and Review! **

**OH! and Jena, I just felt that your review really deserved an answer. You had extremely valid and well thought out questions/concerns, and I know I hate it when an author gives scapegoat answers like that, so I just decided I needed to give you a real answer :) again, thank you for the interest!**


	8. Chapter 8: Festival from Hell

Morning came far to early for Ichigo's liking. He lay in bed, dazedly trying to recall exactly WHY he was up so early. Then he remembered Yuki's school fair. Groaning, he sat up and glanced at the clock.

'10:21 a.m.'

"...Huh. Guess it's not that early after all." He mumbled aloud, bringing a hand up to push his unruly orange spikes out of his eyes. Forcing himself into a standing position, he stumbled blindly out of the room. Knocking before he entered the hall bathroom, he locked the door behind him and turned the shower on high. He grabbed a washcloth from the cabinet as he waited for the water to heat up, picking up a magazine laying across the counter and skimming it's the contents absently. Once he noticed the steam starting to fog up the bathroom he stripped out of his pajamas, stepping into the hot spray with a contented sigh of relieve. Ichigo relaxed as he felt his muscles start to loose some of the unconscious tension, and he stood for a few minutes just enjoying the heat of the water against his skin. Eventually though, he got down to business. He grabbed a shampoo bottle off the rack and squeezed a generous amount into his hand, replacing the bottle on the shelf as he started massaging the liquid into his hair.

He let his thoughts wander as he went through the motions of his shower. Now that he was more alert, Ichigo couldn't help but wonder why the anxiety from last night had yet to leave him. He couldn't help but feel like something was going to go horribly wrong, and for the life of him he couldn't understand what had caused it. However, Ichigo did know one thing. Always trust your instincts.

And his instincts were screaming at him that something just wasn't right.

He continued to mull over the possible implications of this warning when he heard a knock on the bathroom door, jolting out of his semi-conscious thoughts.

"Oi! Old man! Do NOT use up all the hot water!" Sayomi's voice drifted through the door, impatience seeping into her tone. Ichigo clicked his tongue in annoyance as he finished rinsing his hair out and stepped out, wrapping a towel loosely around his waist. He grabbed his clothes off the counter and opened the door, where he was greeted by a scowling Sayomi, who impatiently  
shouldered past him, shoving him into the hallway and slamming the door behind him. He rolled his eyes halfheartedly.

"Good morning to you to!" He called, receiving a growl in answer. He laughed and turned to head back towards his room to change, but paused as a thought struck him.

"Sayomi!" He said loudly, waiting for her reply which came in the form of a half-hearts shout of annoyance, which Ichigo promptly ignored.

"I'm going to a school fair later this afternoon. I'm friends with the girls mother, and I promised her I'd go. Do you want to tag along?" He asked curiously. There was silence for a few minutes, broken only by the muted spray of the shower. Ichigo shrugged, taking the silence as a no and making to turn away before the door cracked open and Sayomi poked her head into the hallway to scowl at him blankly.

"...Sure." Came her simple reply before she shut the door again, the click of the lock signaling that that's all Ichigo was going to get out of her this early in the morning. He stood, surprised by her agreement, for a few more moments before shrugging and continuing on his way to his bedroom. He cast one last lingering glance at the bathroom door before shutting his own.

* * *

The shinigami watched as Ichigo cast a last, long glance towards the bathroom before shutting his bedroom door. They, too, were curious as to what had caused Sayomi to agree. After spending the day with her yesterday they realized that she truly was similar to Ichigo, and didn't really enjoy big crowds or get-togethers. Renji was the first to voice the question.

"What the hell is up with her?" He asked, staring curiously at the bathroom, as if the answer would appear and write itself on the door. Hitsugaya sighed in exasperation, staring at Renji like he had just asked what color the sky was. He rolled his eyes for good measure before answering.

"Are you serious?" He asked. "The girl just found out that within the next two weeks, her grandfather is going to die, with no guarantee that she'll seem him anytime soon. Don't you think she'll want to use any excuses she can to spend extra time with him?" Renji frowned as he considered this. Yumichika stared at him disdainfully.

"You can't even consider the feelings of others at a time like this? How unbeautiful." He stated, turning away from the now fuming redhead. "Rangiku? What's wrong?" He suddenly asked, drawing the others' attention towards the aforementioned lieutenant. The woman in question was currently gaping at Ichigo's bedroom door.

"...Holy hell. He's still so hot." She suddenly said, stars in her eyes. Yumichika smirked at her answer while the other shinigami glanced at each other, unsure how to respond to her statement. "It's nice to know he hasn't let himself get out of shape." She winked.

Before the others had a chance to react the bathroom door opened, and they watched as Sayomi stepped out. Her hair was still damp, making it look darker than usual, and hung loose around her face. She had a pair of black skinny jeans on, accompanied by a black and gray stripped v-neck and her black hoodie. Her jeans were again tucked into her combat boots. She had the same smokey black eye shadow as yesterday, black eyeliner, and had decided to add some dark red, almost black lipstick. While some people couldn't pull it off, on her it looked stunning.

She looked up, mildly surprised to see the shinigami outside the bathroom door.

"...What'd I miss?"

* * *

Ichigo walked downstairs about forty-five minutes later, still uneasy. Sayomi had locked herself in her bedroom, but he could still hear the murmur of her voice as she conversed with whoever she had met yesterday. He shrugged it off, glancing at the clock in the hall as he passed.

'11:52 a.m.'

Walking into the kitchen, he suddenly stopped. Ichigo turned back towards the stairs, tilting his head up to stare at the spot where her room was positioned on the upper floor.

"Sayomi!" He called, silencing the murmurs upstairs.

"Yeah?" Came the muffled reply.

"I'm about to make lunch, anything in particular you want?" He asked loudly. He waited for her reply when he heard footsteps on the staircase. He looked over just in time to see his granddaughter lean over the banister.

"Can we have ramen?" She asked hopefully. Ichigo nodded, suppressing a smirk at the barely concealed delight in her eyes.

"We'll have to go out to eat, is that okay with you?" Sayomi nodded quickly before sprinting back upstairs to grab her phone.

* * *

While they walked, Ichigo kept catching Sayomi staring at him from the corner of her eye when she thought he wasn't looking. After about the twentieth time Ichigo suddenly stopped, staring at Sayomi with a mixture of annoyance and confusion.

"What is wrong with you?" He asked, arms crossed over his chest. Sayomi stared back impassively.

"I don't know what you're talking about old man. Maybe you need your glasses, because you're obviously seeing things." She replied, a smirk finding it's way onto her lips as she spoke, hoping to divert her grandfather's attention from her, admittedly, strange behavior. Ichigo, however, was not fooled.

"I'm not in the mood Sayomi." He warned her. "So what's up? Why are you acting like I'm going to disappear if you take your eyes off me?"

Sayomi winced internally, but outwardly she appeared calm as could be, scowl and all.

"Nothing's up..." She trailed slightly. "I just think you're clothing choice is a little surprising. That's all."

Ichigo looked down at what he was wearing. A pair of black skinny jeans, black and white trainers, a slim-fit long-sleeved white v-neck, and an unzipped black hoodie with a skull printed across the front. Confused, he looked back up to meet her gaze.

"What are you talking about? I always dress like this." He said, unconvinced. She shrugged in reply.

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I haven't seen you in awhile... or maybe it's due to the fact that an old man like you still dresses like a teenager. Reliving the glory days, pops?" She teased, watching out of the corner or her eye as he scowled at her in reply.

"Brat, you're just jealous because I still look damn good at my age. Hell, I look more like a teenager than you do." He added, smirking deviously. She turned the full force of her glare on the older man, who simply laughed at her attempts to 'intimidate' him.

They continued to bicker all the way to the restaurant.

* * *

Hours later they were on their way to Yuki's school. It was only four o'clock, but there was already quite the line. Jogging, Ichigo and Sayomi reached the gates and took their place at the back of the line, making small talk as they waited to get their tickets. When they were finally allowed through, Ichigo took a moment to marvel at the fact that an elementary school had organized this. There were food stalls selling Yakitori(1), Takoyaki(2), Watame(3), Yakisoba(4), and even Karumeyaki(5). There were game booths, competitions, music, and even a play later that evening. Sayomi looked around, surprised by how elaborate the festival was, before a shout interrupted her train of thought.

"Onii-sama!" Someone shouted. Before either Sayomi or Ichigo could react, a colorful blur shot past the shocked teenager and tackled Ichigo, who nearly fell backwards.

"You came! You really came!" A voice exclaimed happily. Ichigo looked down to see Yuki clinging to his leg. He smiled and knelt down, pulling her into a hug.

"Of course I did. I promised, didn't I? And I can't break a promise to my favorite little girl in the world, now can I?" He asked rhetorically. Before Yuki could answer, a woman Sayomi had never seen before came running over. She cast the girl a firm glance before turning her attention on Ichigo.

"Ah, konnichiwa, Ichigo. I'm sorry about that. She saw you and just kinda... took off." The woman scratched the back of her neck apologetically. Ichigo smiled reassuringly.

"It's fine. Anyway, I wanna introduce you to someone." He said, releasing Yuki and standing up, gesturing Sayomi forward.

"Ayumi-san, Yuki-chan, this is my granddaughter, Sayomi." Ayumi glanced between the two, shocked by the resemblance, while Yuki gaped at her with wide eyes, before throwing her arms around Sayomi's leg. Sayomi, in response, tensed up, unused to the strange show of affection or the child herself. Ichigo and Ayumi laughing quietly at the scowl on her face while the girl, Yuki, looked up at Sayomi with wide adoring eyes.

"You look like onii-sama!" She said excitedly, still clinging to Sayomi's leg. "You're so pretty! I like you. Be my friend?" Yuki said quickly, still smiling winningly up at Sayomi. Sayomi was staring at the child with an expression akin to panic, but nodded anyway. Yuki squealed happily in response, taking Sayomi's hand in her own and dragging her over to the visibly amused adults.

"I'm glad you kept your promise, onii-sama!" Yuki said adorably, still clutching Sayomi's hand. Ichigo nodded in response, watching his granddaughter's face carefully. Behind the obvious panic and her inexperience with kids, Ichigo could see the warmth in her eyes, her features softening from the usual harsh scowl, and the almost protective aura she seemed to radiate. Then he looked at Yuki, dressed in a multi-hued kimono for the play later on. Her hair was up in an elaborate bun, loose curls hanging down her back. She had no make-up on, her thick, dark lashes already standing out in stark contrast to her pale complexion.

'She is such a gorgeous child.' He thought absently as Yuki took his hand in her free one, dragging both Ichigo and Sayomi deeper into the festival, Ayumi following behind half exasperated and half amused.

The uneasy feeling still hadn't left.

* * *

Ichigo had soon decided that the festival was top notch. It was well thought out, entertaining, and there were endless things to do. Ichigo, Ayumi, and Sayomi had just finished watching the play that Yuki was in, and the night was drawing to a close. He applauded thunderously along with the rest of the crowd as the children took a bow before trooping off stage. Ichigo stood up, sighing in relief as his back popped, easing the pressure that had built up from being seated for so long. Beside him, Sayomi arched her back, tilting her head back and forth repeatedly to work out the crick. Despite the discomfort, even she had to admit that Yuki had done a fantastic job, and that the play had been wonderful.

"C'mon! Let's go congratulate her!" Ayumi said excitedly, eyes shining with pride as she rushed towards the stage to find her daughter. Ichigo and Sayomi shared a glance before following her towards the stage. When they got there, Yuki was surrounded by parents and other children, all congratulating her on the performance as she thanked them graciously. However, the second she saw Ichigo and Sayomi, she broke free of her mother and raced towards them.

"Onii-sama! Nee-chan!" She shouted, wrapping her arms around Ichigo as soon as she reached him. He returned the hug before she repeated the action to an amused Sayomi, who hugged the girl back halfheartedly. She started babbling to them about the play while onlookers chuckled fondly and dispersed. Ayumi made her way over to them, grinning proudly.

"C'mon Yuki. Let's go grab your bag." She said, holding her hand out. Yuki nodded, turning to take her hand before hesitating and turning back to look at Ichigo.

"Are you gonna wait? Or are you leaving now?" She asked adorably. Ichigo smiled reassuringly.

"We'll wait. It'll be an honor to walk the star to her car." He joked. Yuki smiled her 'thousand watt smile' at him before taking her mother's outstretched hand and making her way towards the school. Looking around, the festival was still in full swing. There was an hour left, and most people were having too much fun to leave. A sudden sigh from his left made Ichigo glance at his granddaughter questioningly. She was looking after Yuki with a wistful expression, watching as the child wove through the crowd with her mother.

"...I'm glad I came tonight, old man. She's absolutely adorable." Sayomi said, so quietly Ichigo almost hadn't heard her. He stared at her speculatively for a moment before shrugging it off, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Me to-" The rest of his sentence was cut off by the sound of an explosion. Ichigo and Sayomi, along with most of the people nearby were thrown backward, cartwheeling through the air before colliding painfully with the ground.

Then it all faded to black as darkness pulled him under.

* * *

The sound of panicked screaming brought Ichigo back. He winced as he pushed himself into a sitting position, shoving debris away as he forced himself up unsteadily. His ears were ringing painfully, muting the sounds from the world around him as his head swam, black dots dancing across his vision. Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus. When he finally looked around, his eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror.

Bodies were strewn in every direction. Men, women, children lay broken, bruised, dead, or dying. Shrieks of terror and agony echoed off the surrounding buildings mockingly. Blood stained the earth around him, stands lay in smoking shambles. Suddenly, Ichigo remembered that he had been standing with Sayomi. Where was she?

"Sayomi?" He called, desperate to be heard over the screams of the dead and dying. "Sayomi!? Where are you? SAYOMI!?" His throat burned as he inhaled, smoke thick in the air, but he ignored the discomfort in favor of finding his granddaughter.

She was his family, and he'd be damned if anything happened to her.

Suddenly, a shock of orange caught his attention. Ichigo rushed forward, ignoring his body's protests as he shoved debris away from the girl on the ground. Ichigo was radiating relief as he looked her over, checking her pulse and her head for signs of trauma. She was perfectly fine aside from a few cuts and bruises. Just knocked unconscious from the impact which, Ichigo could already predict, would leave a nasty bump.

His relief was short lived, however, at the sound of a terrifyingly familiar shriek. Turning slowly, he stared towards the sound as the smoke cleared. What he saw made his blood run cold.

Ayumi lay on the ground, unmoving and drenched in her own blood as the pool of crimson she lay in spread further and further. A large, deep laceration across her back from the top of her shoulder to her left hip, practically pouring blood like a faucet on high. And dangling, bruised and bloody in the air, was Yuki.

"ONII-SAMA!"

* * *

**(1) Yakitori- various kinds of grilled chicken on sticks**

**(2) Takoyaki- ball shaped Japanese pancakes with chunks of octopus in the middle**

**(3) Watame- Cotton Candy. Usually sold pre-packaged**

**(4) Yakisoba- fried Japanese soba (buckwheat noodles)**

**(5) Karumeyaki- grilled caramel. A favorite of children.**

**Well, another chapter down. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I'll try to upload the next chapter tonight, but if not it'll be up early morning (like 2 am) or sometime tomorrow. Please read, review, and tell me what you thought! Is it easy to read? Is the format ok? etc. etc. Thank you all for the continuing support! (now I gotta cut this short. Dinner time!)**


	9. Chapter 9: Sayonara

"ONII-SAMA!" Yuki shrieked, twisting and writhing in desperation to escape whatever had her in it's grasp. Her little hands tugged uselessly at the creature that had her by the throat. She was suffocating, her attempts to free herself become more feeble than the last as the seconds ticked by. Eyes rolling in terror, she finally focused on the vague outline before her. It was huge, that much was obvious, but she couldn't make out any features. The fingers, or so she assumed, around her throat tightened, and she spluttered, trying in vain to get oxygen back into her screaming lungs. Her vision wavered, fading out at the edges and slowly moving in.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

"YUKI!" Ichigo shouted, horrified as he watched her struggle against whatever was holding her aloft. He threw a wild glance across the nearby wreckage, desperate for a weapon of some kind. Even if he couldn't see it, he knew what currently had the child in it's grasp. And that begged the question.

Where the hell were the shinigami!?

Ichigo, however, didn't have time to wait around, and neither did Yuki. Spying a jagged metal pipe a couple of meters away, Ichigo raced over and jerked it out of the ruins of the stand, eyes still glued to the feebly struggling child above. The pipe was heavy, sturdy metal. It's weight was comforting in his palm. Taking a stance, Ichigo vaguely realized that he was unconsciously readying himself like he would have if he had been holding a zanpakuto. Pushing this to the back of his mind, Ichigo rushed forward, pipe at the ready.

"YUKI!"

* * *

The shinigami raced towards the school, desperation and duty fueling their steps.

"WHO'S JOB WAS IT TO FOLLOW KUROSAKI!?" Toshiro shouted angrily. It was all their fault. They had been ordered to stick with Ichigo, and now here they were, desperate to simply find him, a huge hollow attacking the festival freely, and an unprecedented number of human lives already lost.

Lives they were meant to protect.

Toshiro growled, pushing himself to go even faster. The other shinigami struggled to keep up as they streaked towards the carnage, Toshiro and Byakuya soon leaving the rest behind.

* * *

Ichigo rushed forward blindly. He knew it was a complete gamble. Hell, he knew it was probably the single most idiotic thing he'd ever done.

But that also made it the single best decision he'd ever made; to save a life.

He swung blindly, and the jarring impact of the pipe against the hollow was shocking to say the least. Ichigo watched, amazed, as it released Yuki. He leapt forward, arms outstretched to keep her from hitting the ground. Arms wrapped protectively around her tiny frame, he rolled before straightening into a kneeling position. He had one shot at this. Focusing all his senses on the spot where the hollow had been, he felt the remnants of his spiritual pressure flare up just enough to allow him to see the vague, shadowy outline of the hollow bearing down on them. Jumping to the side, he felt a vicious blow graze his arm. Wincing, he looked around desperately for an escape route.

"Old man!"

Ichigo whipped around to stare at his granddaughter, who was giving him a look of dazed horror. Her gaze flicked to the unconscious  
child in his arms before racing forward, arms outstretched, eyes riveted on a spot over his shoulder. Ichigo passed Yuki to Sayomi before jumping back just in time to avoid the hollow's arm as it swung towards him.

"RUN! I'll hold him off as long as I can, get her out of here!" He shouted at his granddaughter. She lingered for a moment, indecision flickering across her features before nodding, eyes blazing with the promise to keep Yuki alive. Casting one last look at her grandfather, she spun and raced away from the hollow.

Ichigo turned just in time to see the hollow shift, leaning towards Yuki and Sayomi's retreating figure. Then, without warning, it leapt towards them.

"NO!"

* * *

The shinigami arrived just in time to see Sayomi turn away from Ichigo and the hollow, a child cradled protectively in her arms as she raced away from the scene. They drew their zanpakuto, preparing to attack, when the hollow suddenly turned it's attention away from Ichigo, and zeroed in on Sayomi as she ran towards the exit. It suddenly tensed, letting out a blood chilling roar of hunger.

"Quick! Go-" TOshiro was cut off by the one thing they had feared most.

"NO!" A shout of fury. A familiar voice. The shinigami looked up just in time to see the hollow dive for Sayomi. They raced forward, knowing they weren't going to make it.

Suddenly a familiar blur of orange lunged between the girls and the hollow.

Blood sprayed the air.

* * *

Ichigo raced forward, watching in horror as the hollow's arm plunged towards Sayomi's unprotected back. He was racing against the hollow, against time, against the odds as he closed the distance between them. Just as the hollows claws were about to skewer Sayomi, he recklessly threw himself forward, praying to every god and deity he had ever heard of that he wouldn't be too late.

Blood sprayed the air, agony exploding throughout his abdomen as the hollows claws ran him through. He cried out in agony as they pierced his flesh, blood pooling in his throat. The hollow suddenly tore itself away from him, causing Ichigo to let out another involuntary cry. Blood rapidly soaked his shirt, dying the once white material crimson. He fell to his knees, hand pressed reflexively against the puncture wounds, though he knew it was already much to late. He coughed, blood spilling from his lips to splatter against the concrete below. Wincing, Ichigo threw one hand out to brace himself as he slumped forward, unable to remain upright. The ringing in his ears was unbearable, the taste of blood repulsive as he spit a mouthful to the pavement below. He couldn't breathe, his vision fading to black on the edges.

'Tunnel vision,' He thought dimly as his arms gave out. He lay on the pavement, his blood pooling around him, dying his skin red. He could hear voices through the ringing, multiple voices. His name uttered multiple times, each repetition more desperate than the last. But he couldn't answer. He couldn't draw a breath, let alone reply to whoever was calling him. He could feel his limbs grow heavy, the pain fading as it was replaced by a numbing cold. He winced soundlessly as the cold swept through, tremors wracking his injured frame, agitating the injuries. But he couldn't feel it. His brown eyes dulled, fluttered for a moment before slipping closed for a final time, and he found himself unable to open them again. He heard muffled screams, but soon everything faded away. He couldn't feel the bone-chilling cold that had gripped him moments before, nor could he feel the agony of his wound. He was numb. He was fading. Vaguely, he wondered if those two were alright. Though, for the life of him, he couldn't remember who he had been so desperate to protect.

Darkness pulled him under, and breathing his final breath, he succumbed.

* * *

"Old man? Oi, quite playing around! Stand up damn it!" The shinigami watched regretfully as Sayomi shouted at her grandfather, desperation tinging her words as she knelt beside him. Rukia bit her lip to keep her tears at bay. She hadn't expected to watch her best friend get slaughtered, that was for sure. If they'd been there even a second sooner, maybe Ichigo wouldn't have died. But there was no point dwelling on the 'what ifs.' What's done was done. And she would just have to live with it. Renji stood beside her, staring at the scene with troubled eyes. Ikkaku had turned away, staring off towards the school. Toshiro and Byakuya had walked away from the scene to compile a quick report to send back to soul society. Yumichika was staring morosely around the field, expression bleak. Rangiku was looking at Sayomi sadly, took a breath and walked forward to place a hand on the girl's shoulder. Sayomi glanced up at her, expression vulnerable and desperate. A sad smile graced Rangiku's face, her eyes full of remorse as she pulled the girl to her feet. She seemed to choose her words carefully before speaking, eyes locked on Sayomi's.

"...Your grandfather gave you a job. Didn't he?" She asked slowly, gauging the younger girl's reaction. Sayomi stared at her blankly for a moment before nodding numbly. Gathering the prone child in her arms, she cast a last, grief-stricken glance at Ichigo's blood drenched form before sprinting away from the scene, disappearing around the corner. The group was silent for a moment, heads bowed to honor the girl's loss. Byakuya was the first to break it.

"Split up and look for Kurosaki." He said simply. "We don't have time to stand on ceremony, there could be more hollows on the way. Who ever finds him, preform Konso. And, of course, any other souls you come across."

They all nodded in understanding before running off, searching carefully through the rubble and lingering smoke for a flash of orange hair. Rukia preformed countless konso, still with no sign of Ichigo. Just as she was about to give up and head back to find the others, a flash of color caught her eye. Turning, she drew in a sharp breath.

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes, thoroughly disoriented. Sitting up, he was faced with destruction. Smoke hung in the air and blood stained the ground. Wincing, he forced himself up, stumbling slightly.

"What the fuck?" He muttered aloud, casting a furtive glance around for signs of life. Frowning, he started picking his way through the debris.

"...Hello?" He called, waiting for a moment to see if there were any replies. "Hello?" He shouted, louder.

"Ichigo."

Ichigo froze, his mind rebelling against what he was seeing. It just wasn't possible. He hasn't seen her, seen any of them, in over sixty years. So how...

"...Fuck. Rukia." He muttered. "Am I seriously dead? What the hell?" Rukia was staring at him strangely, eyes swimming with a combination of sadness and joy.

"What happened?" He asked her, curious. She started for a moment before bowing her head slightly, eyes hidden by her bangs.

"We were, um... too late." She practically whispered the part, Ichigo straining to hear her. He blinked, shocked, before thinking back to his last moments before passing out. It all came rushing back after a few minutes.

"Ah yeah. I guess you're right." He said speculatively. "Hey! What about Sayomi and Yuki?! They made it, right?" Rukia stared at him in confusion for a few moments before rolling her eyes.

"Typical. You're nearly hollow bait, you fucking DIE, yet you're still worried about others." She muttered to herself before looking up the meet his eyes.

"Speaking of which, you're surprisingly calm for someone who just died." She said absently. He shrugged in reply.

"I knew it was gonna happen someday. I'm just glad I went protecting them." It was then that Rukia allowed a soft smile to make it's way onto her face.

"Yeah, that sounds like you." She smirked, drawing her zanpakuto. Ichigo didn't have to ask to know what she was about to do.

"You ready?" She asked, studying him carefully. He smirked in return, shrugging.

"As I'll ever be."

Rukia stepped forward, drew a breath, and slowly set the tip of her zanpakuto handle against Ichigo's forehead. Pulling away, she watched as the sign glowed brightly for a moment before engulfing her friend in silvery white light.

"See you soon, Rukia." He said, smiling softly at her. She smiled, a small, genuine smile in reply. "Ah."

Their eyes met, and then there was a flash of light, signaling the completion of the konso. Rukia watched sullenly as a hell butterfly took of, rising higher and higher until it disappeared from sight. Letting out a soft sigh, she turned away, heading back towards the others.

"See you soon, Ichigo."

* * *

**And with that, the prologue of sorts, is done! WOOHOO. Now we can get onto the real story, ICHIGO IN SOUL SOCIETY! :D **

**I apologize if this is confusing or badly written. I just scribbled it down as I went, and I don't have time to go back and read through it at the moment, so, I'll put it up as is, and have you guys decide if I should edit it or not. So please read, review, etc. **

**Get ready to visit Soul Society!**


	10. Chapter 10: Arrival

Ichigo slowly regained consciousness, wincing as he opened his eyes. Groaning in a mixture of annoyance, confusion, and pain, he sat up and ran a hand through his vibrant orange hair, glancing down absently at the plain black yukata he wore. A pang of recognition hit him, but he ignored it. Looking around, he took in the small, grassy clearing he had woken up in. Patches of small white flowers dotted the clearing around him, insects buzzed almost lazily as they flew through the air, and shafts of sunlight lit up the shady clearing, breaking through the foliage sporadically. A blue sky was visible through the canopy above him, leaves swaying softly in the breeze. However, despite the beauty of the area, it was not peaceful. The sounds of life echoed in the air. Children screaming, people shouting, the echoing sound of footsteps and cart wheels.

"What the fuck?" Ichigo wondered aloud, eyes narrowed in pain as his headache made itself known. Frowning in confusion, he stood up and made his way across the clearing towards the chaos, stumbling slightly as a wave of vertigo hit. He made it out of the clearing and followed the shouts as he navigated his way out of the forest, eyes alert. Ichigo saw light between the trees ahead, and quickened his pace, anxious to find out where the hell he was.

Breaking the tree line, Ichigo froze. Before him was a city, if you could even call it that, absolutely crowded with people. Dirt-caked children wove their way through the crowd, appearing and disappearing with ease. Adults chattered senselessly, seemingly unaware of the hustle and bustle of the packed streets, and merchants screamed their wares at passers-by, their ragged yukata hanging loosely from their sickly frames. The dull, lifeless look in their eyes chilled Ichigo in ways he couldn't describe.

Ichigo, lost in thought, didn't notice when a group of children rushed past, only to pause and stare back at the orange-haired boy blankly. After a moment, a tall black haired boy stepped forward, placing a hand cautiously on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo, in response, tensed instinctively and was about to attack whatever had grabbed him when he locked eyes with the obsidian gaze of the other boy. Ichigo shrugged the hand off but continued to stare questioningly.

"Hey, you alright?" The boy asked, allowing Ichigo to shrug his hand off. Ichigo analyzed him cautiously for a moment before frowning.

"Not really." He said slowly, allowing his gaze to wander over the slum again. "Where the hell am I?" The other boy's eyes widened in understanding before he glanced around absently himself.

"Ah, I see. You're new here, aren't you?" He asked, though it was more of an observation. Ichigo nodded in response anyway. Sighing, the black-haired boy ran a hand through his tangled locks before nodding purposefully to himself.

"Well, let me introduce myself. Shin Nakamura, pleased to meet'cha." He said, holding out a hand to the orange haired boy before him. Ichigo scowled in response but shook his hand anyway.

"Kurosaki. Ichigo Kurosaki." Shin nodded in response before continuing.

"Anyway Ichigo, I'm not gonna sugarcoat shit for you. You're dead." Shin said bluntly. Ichigo stared at him blankly for a moment before the words caught up with him.

"I'm what!? Dead? How the fuck can I be dead if I'm standing here, clearly breathing?" Ichigo asked disbelievingly. Shin sighed sympathetically before answering.

"I know this'll be hard to believe, but you're in soul society. It's the destination for just about everyone who dies, besides Hell of course. Though this may as well be Hell. You're in the 78th district, Inuzuri. Which means you're one of the unluckiest sons of bitches I've ever met, considering this is one of the worst districts." Shin finished, frowning slightly. Ichigo stared back at him impassively.

"...I see." Ichigo said after a moment, sighing in annoyance. "Well thanks for the fore-warning. Anything else I should know?"

Shin hesitated for a moment. However, memories of his first few months here, terrified and alone, solidified his resolve to help the kid before him as much as possible.

He'd need it.

"Well, there are a few things." He began, motioning Ichigo to follow him. Ichigo did so warily. Shin sent the rest of his little group, who had been standing a ways away, on their way before leading Ichigo further into the woods. After a few minutes they stopped in the clearing Ichigo had woken up in, where Shin promptly turned and took a seat on the ground, motioning for Ichigo to do the same. When he remained standing Shin sighed, but nodded.

"I didn't want us out in the open when I'm explaining all this. Being distracted and vulnerable aound here gets you killed. Or worse." He explained absently as he gathered his thoughts. Ichigo nodded silently, waiting for Shin to continue.

"Well first of all, I'll tell you a little bit about soul society. I don't know much, and it may not be completely accurate, but it's kept me alive." He added. "There are 80 districts in Rukongai. They get worse and worse the closer you get to the final district, but they also get less restricted. So district one, which is closest to the Seretei, is the richest, cleanest district. They have little to no crime, and many nobles and upper class families live around there. However, they also have tighter security, more laws, and the like. District eighty, of course is the most rundown, crime infested, and dangerous district in all of Soul Society. However, they have practically no laws, so even though it's beyond dangerous, you get away with a lot more. Between those two, the other seventy-eight districts get steadily worse." Shin paused, allowing Ichigo a moment to absorb all the information so far. Ichigo nodded readily to show he was keeping up and Shin continued.

"Seretei, which I mentioned before, is where the Shinigami, or soul reapers, live. Shinigami are the people who protect the world of the living and the souls of humans from hollows, which are monsters that eat human souls. There are rumors that hollows are actually other human souls that the shinigami didn't save in time, but I don't know for sure, so don't take my word for it. Anyway, shinigami are the ones who patrol the districts and take care of any criminals or hollow that they come across. At least, they're supposed to do that. You rarely get shinigami past district forty. A lot of the weaker shinigami are to scared to go further, so we're usually on our own in that area. Shinigami are people with spiritual pressure, and the power to fight hollows. The carry swords and are dressed in black, so you should be able to recognize them if you see them." He paused again, watching as Ichigo frowned absently in confusion, lost in thought. Shin waited until Ichigo nodded, expression carefully blank. Shin shrugged it off and continued.

"Hollows are monsters with white masks and holes in their chests. You'll know it when you see it, trust me. They are to be avoided at all costs. Come to think of it, you probably wanna avoid any shinigami you see too. Any shinigami with the balls to come this far is usually not someone you want to befriend, and almost certainly not here for wholesome reasons. Other than that, you just have to do what it takes to survive here. There are a lot of thieves and rapists, general scum of society. The adults around here have no qualms about killing someone, especially a kid. And if you need anything, whether it be water, clothes, money, or even if you wanna try some food, odds are you'll have to take it. So learn to defend yourself kid, or you won't last three days." Shin advised, standing up. He glanced at the sky, shocked to see it darkening rapidly. He looked back towards the scowling boy before him. He looked like he was about twelve, maybe thirteen. Shin prayed he'd last. He was rather fond of the brat already.

"Anyway, I gotta get going. The others are gonna wonder where the fuck I disappeared to, and I've already told you all I know anyway." Shin said, brushing off his dull blue yukata. Ichigo nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thanks for all the help." He said simply. Shin stared at him for a moment, eyes searching, before dropping his gaze.

"You got a place to stay tonight?" Shin asked after a moment, frowning when Ichigo shrugged absently. Before he could comment Ichigo held up his hand.

"I'll be fine. Honest. Thank you for all your help, like I said. It was more than appreciated. But I can't impose on you, and frankly, I'm not good with other people." He said, flashing a small, sincere smile at a thoroughly shocked Shin. "See you around?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the tree behind him, head tilted towards Shin questioningly, who nodded after a moment.

"Yeah, I'll see you around, Ichigo." He said, turning to walk out of the clearing. However, he stopped when he reached the tree line to stare back at the boy, an unexplainable mixture of curiosity and protectiveness welled up inside him.

"Ichigo?" He asked, waiting for the slight tilt of his head to show the boy was listening. "How much do you remember from your human life?" He asked cautiously. Ichigo froze, expression blank and far away before turning his head away, bangs falling to hide his face.

"Besides my name, nothing." Ichigo said simply, his voice devoid of feeling. Shin shivered at that before nodding sympathetically and continuing out of the clearing.

"Good luck, Ichigo."

* * *

Ichigo watched as Shin disappeared through the trees before allowing himself to slide to the ground, back braced against the tree behind him as he winced in agony, knees drawn to his chest, his hands gripping the sides of his head fiercely in a desperate attempt to ward off the agony of his headache, which had grown more and more unbearable as Shin's explanation dragged on. Waves of pain wracked his head, each burst of agony bringing images, sounds, voices. Fuzzy though they were, Ichigo couldn't help but feel they were important. But he couldn't focus on the information as the pain worsened, shooting through his body like he'd been stabbed. With a soft cry of agony, Ichigo finally succumbed to the pain, allowing the darkness to drag him under as he sank into sweet unconsciousness.

* * *

"_Ichigo._"

Ichigo woke, dazed, at the sound of the voice. He sat up, glancing at his surroundings as he did so, and tensing defensively as he realized that he had no clue where he was. It was obviously not Inuzuri. Hell, he didn't even think it was Soul Society. All he could see where sky scrapers, stretching endlessly towards the sky. Glancing down, he realized he couldn't even see the ground.

And then he realized he was sitting on one of the sky scrapers. Sideways.

"What the fuck!? Where the hell am I now!?" Ichigo shouted aloud, flattening himself against the building he was currently seated on, praying he didn't fall to his death, cursing whatever nut job had brought him here.

"Ichigo. Welcome back. It's been a long time."

Ichigo snapped his head around to look for the source of the voice, and instantly locked onto an old man, black cloak billowing out behind him despite the obvious lack of wind, standing oh-so-nonchalantly on a godforsaken flagpole.

"...The fuck? Where am I? Who the hell are you? And how is it that you haven't, oh, I don't know, _fallen to your death!?_" Ichigo practically shouted at the end. The old man stared blankly back at Ichigo, a tinge of amusement flashing through his eyes before stepping nimbly off the flagpole and practically gliding to Ichigo's side.

"On the contrary, why are you laying down?" He asked, staring impassively at the orange haired boy. Ichigo frowned before sitting up cautiously and, after realizing he wouldn't fall to his death, stood.

"Okay... That's totally normal." He said sarcastically before locking eyes with the old man before him.

"So, who exactly are you? And where the hell am I already?" He asked impatiently, arms crossed over his chest.

"...You don't know who I am?" The old man asked unhappily, staring unblinkingly at the boy before him.

"Well if I knew, I wouldn't be askin' now would I?" Ichigo snarked, scowling in annoyance. The old man sighed in exasperation.

"My name is Zan****u." He said, waiting for Ichigo's reaction. And he did not disappoint.

"What? I couldn't hear you." He said, confusion clear in his eyes. The older man nodded in acceptance, sorrow clear in his eyes.

"You're still not ready. Train hard, Ichigo, and soon, you will be able to hear my name once more." He said simply. Before he could say anything else, the world around him and the old man faded to black.

* * *

Ichigo's eyes snapped open, scanning the darkened clearing in confusion. Silence rang heavy in the air, broken only by the occasional shout and distant music. Groaning softly, he uncurled from his position against the tree, wincing as his stiff muscles ached in protest. Standing up, he walked deeper into the forest, walking carefully down the soft incline when he stumbled upon a small stream just beyond the clearing. Realizing how thirsty he was, he drank his fill before settling against the grassy slope behind him, exhaustion dragging at his limbs. His eyes fluttered closed, breathing a soft sigh as he sank into a surprisingly restful sleep. However, before he slipped back into unconsciousness, a nagging thought crossed his mind once more.

'_Just who was that guy?_'

* * *

**Woohoo! So we're finally in Soul Society. Sorry if the chapter wasn't very exciting. I needed a chance to bridge his departure from the world of the living with his arrival in Soul Society, and a chance for Ichigo to learn about where he was before I could really jump start his time in Inuzuri. I hope it wasn't too disappointing. I should update again either by the end of the day or tomorrow. **

**Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review. And to those who have voted in the poll so far (or messaged me their thoughts). Last I checked there was a tie, so if you haven't already, please go vote! :) **


	11. Chapter 11: Hunger Pangs

As soon as the shinigami returned from the world of the living, Head Captain Yamamoto called an emergency captain's meeting. There was a tense silence, buzzing with excitement and confusion as the last lieutenants took their spots behind their respective captains. Yamamoto strode in purposefully, a sense of urgency in his steps as he took his place in front of the other captains.

"Captain Histugaya, Captain Kuchiki, step forward." He ordered, wasting no time. The two captains stood before him respectfully while the others waited in anticipation.

"I want a full report from both of you this evening about the events that transpired tonight, and I want an explanation now." He said, annoyance and disappointment clear in his tone. "Captain Kuchiki, you may go first. Status report." Byakuya nodded professionally, face emotionless.

"Sir." He acknowledged respectfully before he began. "Kurosaki Ichigo attended a fair in the world of the living earlier this evening with a child, the girl's mother, and his granddaughter. He-"

Byakuya was cut off by the sudden exclamations of the other captains. Murmuring broke out amongst their ranks as they marveled over the fact that Ichigo had actually started a family. Many of the captains and lieutenants present were proud of the younger man, happy for him, while others were uninterested. Yamamoto slammed his staff down, and silence reigned. Though, even he had to admit, he was surprised. Pushing the fact aside, he nodded for Byakuya to continue.

"He got through the evening with no injuries, and was about to retire for the night when the explosion went off. By that time, captain Hitsugaya and myself, along with the lieutenants, third seat Madarame, and fifth seat Ayasegawa had already sensed the hollow and were on our way to the fair. By the time we got there, the hollow, which turned out to be the young girls father, was about to kill Kurosaki's granddaughter and the little girl, whose mother had already been killed. Kurosaki, even though he was unable to see the hollow, somehow jumped between the girls and the hollow, taking a fatal blow to the chest and multiple lacerations throughout the rest of his managed to defeat the hollow, but Kurosaki had already passed away. We made sure the girls left the scene, and I gave the word to split up to search for him, with orders for whoever found him to preform konso immediately. Liuetent Rukia Kuchiki was the one who finally found him." Byakuya finished, stepping back respectfully.

There was a profound silence following Byakuya's report. Even Yamamoto was a little shocked. The boy had died protecting others, protecting a child, from a hollow. Even as a human with no reiatsu, he continued to stun them. Ukitake was the first to speak.

"He died, protecting children from a hollow? A hollow he couldn't see?" Ukitake asked, shocked. Byakuya and Toshiro nodded in confirmation. Shunsui sighed, a mixture of sadness and pride.

"Maa. That sounds like something Ichigo would do, huh?" The other captains murmured in agreement, a mixture of pride, shock, and sadness filling the room.

"Captain Hitsugaya, do you have anything to add to Captain Kuchiki's report?" Yamamoto asked, silencing the murmuring around him. Toshiro nodded.

"My report is similar, if not identical to captain Kuchiki's, however, I would like to add that Kurosaki's granddaughter, Sayomi, has apparently inherited Kurosaki's reiatsu." He said, locking eyes with Yamamoto, who nodded in reply, the look in his eyes promising that this wasn't over. Murmurs filled the room, which Yamamoto silenced once more.

"That will be all. Return to your spots." Byakuya and Toshiro nodded before returning to their respective posts. Yamamoto sighed quietly after a moment before continuing the meeting.

"Has anyone located Kurosaki Ichigo yet?" He asked. A tense silence followed, and he growled softly in irritation.

"I want every available squad member of the Gotei 13 to start combing Rukongai. Work the shifts out amongst yourselves. Either way, no one rest until the boy is found. Understood?" He asked sternly. The other occupants of the room nodded quickly, determination blazing in their eyes.

"HAI!" The combined force of their voices, of the determination that resounded within, was practically a shout, and Yamamoto allowed an approving nod.

"Start immediately. Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyoraku, you two will be in charge of the search. Captains Hitsugaya and Kuchiki will assist. DISMISSED." He announced, his staff hitting the hardwood with a resounding bang.

"Hai!"

* * *

Ichigo blinked as morning light fell across his face, his hand coming up to block out the harsh rays. Sighing softly, he sat up and glanced around, awareness and recognition bleeding into his eyes the longer he took in the small stream and the clearing behind him. It was early, but he could already hear the tell tale signs of life from the slum beyond the forest. Ichigo cleared his throat, wincing at the dryness, before remembering the stream. He drank his fill before standing, ready to see for himself just how 'dangerous' Inuzuri was.

Ichigo made his way back up the slope and through the clearing, picking his way through the maze of trees until they thinned out and he could walk freely. Within minutes he was once again faced with the dirt and disease of Inuzuri. Ichigo coughed softly, dust and pollution thick in the air. He winced as a gnawing pain in his stomach made itself known.

'...I thought you weren't supposed to get hungry here.' He mused, absently clutching his stomach to ward of the hunger pangs. 'Well whatever, I need to find something to eat.'

Nodding to himself, he set off through the streets, already crowded with people. He could hear vendors shouting their wares at the people passing by, and listened carefully for anything that caught his attention.

"Water! Get'cha water here!"

"-yukata! Lightly used yukata!"

"Fresh fruit! Fresh-"

Ichigo allowed a small smirk to grace his face before slipping through the crowd towards the shouts. He allowed himself to melt into the shadows of a nearby alley as he took in the scene.

The vendor, a sickly old man, was sitting behind the wooden stand, which was situated in front of a blank stretch of wall. There were people, but not many. The man had little business, and appeared to be shouting more habitually than hopefully. A bored, tired expression twisted his face. There were apples, oranges, and an assortment of other fruits at the stall, a rainbow of colors in the otherwise bland stretch of road. Ichigo's stomach growled softly at the sight, and he waited patiently for an opening, Shin's words running across the forefront of his mind.

'_The adults around here have no qualms about killing someone, especially a kid._'

Ichigo smirked in response to the warning, and then he took his chance. The crowd had thinned just enough for him to maneuver easily and still remain unseen, and Ichigo bolted through the throng. The elderly man had no chance to react before the fruit disappeared, a blur of orange the only clue he had as to what had just transpired. A few stunned moments passed before he jumped up, grabbing a heavy branch from beside him, and taking off after the kid that had bolted past, shouting threats.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as the vendor's voice faded away, the fruit clutched to his chest as he raced through back alleys towards the clearing. However, the food in his arms soon became far to tempting, and he found a secluded stretch of alley to sit down and eat. Surveying the fruit in his arms, he gave a soft, exuberant whoop of success. An array of vibrant red, yellow, orange, and green as he sorted through his prize. A basket of strawberries, three shiny red apples, a banana, two oranges, and a pear. Pride filled his eyes as he grabbed a strawberry from the basket, popping it into his mouth and chewing happily.

* * *

After he finished, Ichigo felt fantastic. No more hunger pangs, and he felt energized. There were still two apples, an orange, half a basket of strawberries, and a pear left, but he knew to save them for later. Loading everything into his little basket, Ichigo set off back down the alleyway, running a hand through his hair as he went. Before he reached the exit, the sound of shouting caught his attention. After a mere moments hesitation, he turned and went back into the alley, following the sound of the voices as he ventured deeper and deeper into the network of alleyways. Turning a corner, he paused as the shouting suddenly got louder, and melted into the shadows behind him to survey the scene.

There were two little kids, maybe seven or eight, cowering against the wall as an older boy, who looked about ten, stood defiantly in front of them, blocking them from view of three older kids. Ichigo frowned as he took in the positions, glancing at the apples the little kids clutched too their chests. The elder kids towered over them, each about sex feet even, and appeared to be roughly sixteen or seventeen.

"What did you say, you little bitch?" One of them asked, taking a half step forward menacingly. The younger boy's hands shook slightly, and as Ichigo watched he tightened his fists to stop the trembling before glaring back at the older kid.

"I said I won't let you hurt them." He announced, his voice unwavering even as his shaking grew more pronounced. Ichigo admired  
the kid's courage, if anything. The older boys, not so much.

"Oh, and what're you gonna do to stop us? Those brats don't need that food. They got no reiatsu, so why not hand it over to people who need it, like us?" The guy in the middle replied, cracking his knuckles in an attempt to appear more intimidating. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

'What the fuck does this guy think he is? Pathetic.' He thought sourly, setting his basket down quietly. The older kid continued to speak, self-importance clear in his tone, as Ichigo walked forward and slid between the wanna-be-thugs and the children. A shocked silence echoed as the guy broke off his monologue, staring down at the orange haired kid that had just stepped in.

"He may not be able to do anything, but I will. Who cares if they don't technically need to eat? That doesn't mean they can't, or shouldn't. We're all human, dumbass. So why don't you and your friends back off, and go find someone your own size to fuck with? Sound like a plan?" Ichigo snarked, a scowl marring his features, eyes blazing with a fierce need to protect the unknown kids behind him. The older kids gaped at Ichigo, eyes wide with shock, before the leader turned an ugly red color and snarled in fury, teeth bared in dislike.

"Who the hell-... What the fuck... Do you have any idea who the hell I am?!" He hissed, anger glowing in his muddy brown eyes. "I'm Ryu Shimizu!"

Ichigo stared at him impassively, unimpressed. This gangster-wanna-be expected to scare him? Seriously? Rolling his eyes, he scoffed at Ryu, scowling in annoyance.

"You think I give a fuck what your name is? Just get outta my sight and go harass someone your own size, why don't ya?" He asked rhetorically, glaring at the stunned Ryu and his little entourage. There was dead, tense silence for a moment before Ryu snapped. Howling in rage, he lunged blindly at Ichigo, who immediately shifted unconsciously into a defensive stance. A hand clamped down tightly on Ichigo's shoulder, and he reacted instinctively.

Shifting to his left, he spun around and grabbed Ryu's wrist, hooking his left foot around the older boy's ankle, he knocked his legs out from under him and yanked, using his momentum as leverage, and hurled Ryu over his shoulder. Ryu hit the ground hard, spread eagled, and the air hissed painfully out of his lungs, head throbbing.

Ichigo didn't pause to marvel at the technique, instead pulling back a fist and slamming it into the nearest kid's face. Ichigo felt more than heard his nose break, the cartilage giving way beneath the force of his fist, blood splattering the alleyway and Ichigo himself as the guy started howling in pain. Ichigo kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back into the wall and effectively incapacitating him before turning towards the last guy, who was looking at him with wide, terrified eyes, frozen in shock.

"I told you to get the hell outta here." He said simply, before snapping a roundhouse kick into the kids side. Ichigo heard a few loud snaps as the bones cracked, maybe even broke, and the hiss of air leaving his lungs as the guy fell, but Ichigo ignored it. He took hold of the guy's shoulders as he doubled over, kneeing him in the face before knocking him into an abandoned metal dumpster nearby, knocking him unconscious.

The whole thing took less than two minutes.

Ichigo turned when he heard Ryu's groans of pain. Staring down at the older male, he watched as Ryu struggled to his feet, his tangled black hair sticking to his face and neck, a layer of dust caking his skin and yukata from the alley floor. He had a shallow cut near his hairline, blood running down the left half of his face as it bled profusely. Now that Ichigo got a good look at him, he noticed three thin metal hoops in his left ear, a square jaw, and his nose looked like it had been broken more than once. There were numerous scars, old and new, and three deep slashes across the right half of his face, from his hairline curving down over his right eye and curving down under his ear. Ryu was glaring at him, undisguised hatred in his eyes, mouth twisted in an ugly scowl as he spit a mouthful of blood to the ground below. Ichigo met his glare with a scowl of his own.

"Get the hell outta here." He said simply. Ryu's eyes hardened, his jaw set, before he and the other guy collected their unconscious friend and disappeared into the darkness of the alley, his eyes not leaving Ichigo's, promising revenge.

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo turned to look at the kids cowering against the alley wall.

"You guys alright?" He asked, walking forward and kneeling down in front of the children. Looking at them now, he realized the younger two were obviously siblings. The younger boy was skinny, with a mop of chin length black hair and dark gray eyes. His plain short sleeved white yukata was stained and worn, ending just below his knees, tied with an orange obi. He clung to the older girl, who had angled herself in front of him protectively, glaring at Ichigo in warning. Her shoulder length blonde hair stuck up in all directions, tangled and dull. There was a curious shock of dark magenta in the front, like it had been dyed. Her eyes were a pale green, though sometimes they looked gray like her brothers. She was dressed identically to the younger boy, her yukata ending just above her knees, the three quarter length sleeves ending above her wrists.

"Uhm... We're fine, thanks to you." A small voice broke Ichigo out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at the boy who had spoken. He was obviously older than the other two, like Ichigo had originally thought. His bright blue eyes peered out at Ichigo shyly from a mop of dark brown hair. He, like the other two, was skinny, clad in a short, dark purple yukata that had seen better days.

"It was no problem. I hate people who think they're better than others." Ichigo replied, shrugging. "They didn't take anything, did they?" He asked, glancing around. The three quickly shook their heads. In the silence that followed, Ichigo noticed the kids studying him in a mixture of awe and caution. Smiling reassuringly, he made a snap decision and walked over to retrieve the basket he had previously discarded.

"You guys hungry?" he asked, placing the basket before them. The children gaped in awe, need clear in their eyes, before staring back at Ichigo in disbelief. He nodded encouragingly. "I ate some earlier, and I can get more later. So seriously, go nuts."

Needing no further prompting, the kids wasted no time in devouring the fruit Ichigo had presented them. He waited patiently while they finished off the last of it.

"Uh...Thank you very much, mister...?" The older boy started, trailing off questioningly. Ichigo smirked.

"Name's Ichigo Kurosaki. Nice to meet'cha. And you can just call me Ichigo, I'm not that much older than you three." He added. The children nodded in response.

"Well Ichigo, my name's Tadashi Yoshida. This is Homura," Tadashi said, pointing to the blonde girl. "And Shizuku." He introduced the black haired boy. Ichigo nodded in reply.

"Homura, Shizuku, and Tadashi then." He said, memorizing their names for future reference. "So why was that guy being such an ass?" He asked, curious. Tadashi frowned before replying.

"He thinks he's better than everyone in Inuzuri just because he's got a little bit of reiatsu." He said sourly, face screwed up in distaste. Beside him, Homura and Shizuku perked up noticeably, nodding.

"Reiatsu?" Ichigo asked, a vague sense of recognition filling him at the simple term. He felt like he should know what it was, but couldn't remember. "I keep hearing that, but what exactly is it?" He asked. Tadashi looked up in surprise.

"Are you new here?" He asked, eyes wide. Ichigo nodded.

"Yup. I just got here yesterday afternoon." He said casually, head tilted to the left slightly. Tadashi shook his head in wonder, but didn't comment.

"Well, reiatsu is spiritual pressure. It means that, if you have enough, you can become a shinigami and fight the hollows. You get hungry, but you're also really powerful if you know how to use it. Everyone has a little bit here in Soul Society, but the more you have, the more powerful you are, and the more chance you have to get the hell outta here. You could go to the Academy and everything." Tadashi said, smiling excitedly at the thought.

"Academy?" Ichigo asked, confused. Tadashi nodded in reply.

"Mhm. Shino Academy, or Soul Reaper Academy, depending on who ya ask." He said, smiling. "It's where people with reiatsu go and try to become shinigami. It's really hard to get in, but if you do you have a chance to join the Gotei 13 and protect people." He said, eyes shining with pride. Ichigo looked at him, intrigued.

"How do you know if you have reiatsu?" He asked. Tadashi looked surprised.

"Well, there are a couple of different ways. One way is if you get hungry. If you get hungry really quickly, and need to eat a lot, you have strong reiatsu. There are also people who can sense reiatsu, and have their own already, so you could ask someone. Another way is if the shinigami come through, or if people start feinting around you. Things like that." Tadashi said, shrugging. Ichigo nodded, eyes thoughtful.

"Wait a minute. So far, the people I've talked to seem to think the shinigami are terrible, but you seem to idolize 'em. What's up with that?" He asked, looking at Tadashi curiously. He shrugged in reply.

"A lot of people think the shinigami are bad because a few of the less honorable ones come here and cause trouble, or because they've lost family to hollows. The shinigami aren't all bad." He said simply. Ichigo remained silent.

"Do any of you have reiatsu?" Ichigo asked, glancing between the three. They smiled proudly.

"Mhm! We have quite a bit actually. People like Ryu don't realize it though. We're gonna become shinigami when we get older, and protect people. Right Homura, Shizuku?" The two nodded excitedly beside him. Ichigo smiled softly.

"Well, best of luck to you then. I'm sure you'll succeed." Ichigo said, standing and brushing off his yukata. The kids nodded, determination strengthening their features as they stood as well.

"Anyway, I actually have to get going. I'll see you around?" He asked, staring at the trio curiously. Tadashi nodded in reply.

"Mmm. See you around, Ichigo. And thank you again."

Ichigo nodded in reply and watched them melt into the darkness of the alley, before turning and making his way back towards the clearing, mulling over everything Tadashi had told him. It all sounded so familiar, yet so foreign to him. He winced in pain, one hand clutching his head while the other wrapped around his stomach.

The hunger pangs were back.

* * *

**New chapter! Things are gonna speed up from here on out. Next chapter without a doubt. If any of you watched the Bleach movie, Fade to Black, you know where Shizuku and Homura are from! (I don't own them! ALl rights to Tite Kubo!) **

**So, I started writing this at about 10 a.m., and seriously couldn't stop. This is my longest chapter yet, I believe. I hope it was interesting enough! ^^;;**

**Thank you again for all the support guys! It's really motivated me to write, and given me some great ideas! So R and R, and I'll be updating again tonight or tomorrow, if all goes as planned!**


	12. Chapter 12: Sunrise

**Okay, I know this is a short chapter, but it had to be done. (Ichigo has been in Inuzuri for months, in case you don't catch it. :))**

* * *

Over the next few months in Inuzuri, Ichigo fell into a tentative pattern. He woke up, either stole or found breakfast, explored Inuzuri and the surrounding forests, found lunch, kicked ass, grabbed something for dinner, and wandered back to the clearing for the night before doing it all over again the next day. It was tedious and bland, but he couldn't really complain.

He was alive.

Ichigo had only run into the trio from the alley once, two weeks after they had parted ways. It had been a brief exchange of pleasantries before they had gone their separate ways. He hadn't seen them since. Ryu and his band of pricks had avoided him like the plague since day one. Ichigo hadn't minded in the least.

Currently, he was wandering through the maze-like, filth encrusted streets of Inuzuri. It was blessedly empty today, with few people daring to venture out from the little shade their "homes" could provide, into the heat. He walked, unhindered by the usual throng, but also unable to melt into the crowd should the need arise. He frowned in annoyance as a wave of exhaustion hit him, undoubtedly brought on by the heat and the gnawing hunger that he had, thus far, been unable to remedy. He brought a hand up to run through his dripping orange hair, now caked with grime and a sheen of dust. Sweat ran down his face and dripped down his neck as he walked, the sun beating down mercilessly on his back.

"Geez. Where the fuck are the goddamn vendors when I actually need them?!" He growled in annoyance, eyes scanning over the vacant streets hungrily. Other than the occasional local and a couple of filthy children huddled in the shade of an alley, there was nothing. Sighing in frustration, he turned and made his way towards the heart of the slum. He usually avoided the damned place with every fiber of his being, but the need for food overrode his dislike as he scanned the unofficial market place for potential threats. There were vendors out, and more people here as well. A small crowd, easily maneuverable and large enough to provide ample cover. The buildings here were small, made of cracked stone bricks. They were filthy, but obviously far more substantial than the huts that otherwise made up the slum.

Waves of heat rose from the ground as Ichigo hid in the shadows of an alley between two of the homes. He could see children running through the square, dodging adults as they ambled through the vendors' stalls. A low cacophony of voices, broken only by the occasional shout of the vendors as they advertised their wares, buzzed in the air. Ichigo scanned the stalls, silently praying for a miracle. He could of cried when he finally locked eyes on a stall advertising small loaves of bread. He took a quick, grounding breath before slipping into the crowd. Making his way towards the vendor, he waited until the elderly man turned towards a possible customer before taking his chance.

Using the last reserves of his strength, Ichigo flashed forward and, in the blink of an eye, grabbed an armful of whatever was within reach before he took off, rocketing through the crowd as he dodged past pedestrians and other stalls. He could hear the enraged shouts of the older man, hot in pursuit, but Ichigo ignored this in favor of focusing on the path before him. He could physically feel his strength leaving him, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he tried to outlast the pounding footsteps behind him. After a few minutes, the footsteps and shouting finally faded away, and Ichigo allowed himself the luxury of sinking to the ground, back against the alley wall. He was still panting, sweat drenching his worn black yukata and dripping from his matted orange locks. His muscles shook with a mixture of fatigue and hunger, protesting as he shifted to set the armful of stolen goods into his lap.

"Man, I'm already aching. This is gonna be a bitch tomorrow." He muttered to himself, annoyed as he rolled his shoulders in a useless attempt to ease the tension and the agonizing ache. He soon gave up, turning his attention to the items in his lap.

Two small loaves of stale white bread, a small jar of water, and three small, unimpressive bags. Saving those for last, he made quick work of the bread and the water, sighing in relief. The bread hadn't taken away the hunger completely, nothing had so far, but the small meal had made the debilitating hunger pangs more bearable, and the water was an absolute blessing for his parched throat, especially in this heat. Thanking whatever god or deity that may be out there, he cast an inquisitive glance at the small bags that he had unknowingly made off with.

Ichigo had come to realize, over his weeks in Inuzuri, that the insatiable hunger he experienced was far from normal. Most residents in Rukongai did not need to eat at all, and even if they did, it was only in small quantities. So while everyone could, technically, eat, they did not actually have any physical need to. Water, however, was something that everyone in Soul Society needed in order to survive. Dehydration was always an issue, especially in the lower districts. Starvation, not so much. It stood to reason that there were very few vendors who actually sold food, and even those who did always carried other products. So Ichigo was pleasantly surprised when he opened one of the bags to reveal a handful of small sugar crystals.

"Rock candy." He murmured in awe, eyes wide with childish delight. "Who knew the old bastard actually sold this?"

"Ichigo?"

His head snapped towards the voice, muscles tensing reflexively, before relaxing in acknowledgement.

"Tadashi." He greeted, pushing himself off the ground and stowing the bags inside his yukata. Tadashi smiled wanly in reply, Homura and Shizuku waving shyly from behind him.

"Hey. You alright?" Tadashi asked, concern evident in his voice as he gave Ichigo a once over. Ichigo nodded in response.

"Ah yeah, I'm good. Nothing I can't handle." He replied, shrugging nonchalantly. Tadashi stared at him unblinkingly, expression carefully blank. Sharp blue eyes assessed him curiously as Tadashi seemed to struggle with himself before nodding slowly.

"...How've you been?" He asked, feigning nonchalance. Ichigo tilted his head slightly, eyes calculating. Something wasn't right. He could feel it.

"Hmm. As good as anyone in this hell hole can be, I suppose." He said slowly, eyes locked with Tadashi, who seemed to have come to a decision. Eyes hardening with resolve, he took a measured step forward, pitching his voice low enough that Ichigo had to struggle to hear him.

"Ichigo." He said, eyes blazing with sincerity. "I'm gonna give you a choice. You helped us, and I'd like to return the favor. Homura, Shizuku, and I have decided to leave Inuzuri. We're gonna try and get into the Academy. It's a little earlier than we originally wanted, but we want to try and live. Not survive, Ichigo. Live. Do you want to travel with us? It'll be safer in a group. Less chances of getting attacked, easier to get what we need, and a chance to get the fuck outta this hell hole. You don't have to go to the academy with us, though I for one would like you to, but we could drop you at one of the higher districts. What d'ya say?" He asked, voice tinged with desperation.

Ichigo stared at Tadashi silently, features devoid of emotion as he considered the chance that the boy was offering him. He had been thinking about leaving for awhile, that was true, but he hadn't actually put any serious thought into it. He hadn't had time. Every day was a struggle just to survive, let alone dream about leaving Inuzuri. But maybe this was the chance he needed. And Tadashi had a sound argument...

"Sure." He finally agreed, allowing himself a small, almost nonexistent smile of appreciation. Tadashi and the other two grinned happily in response, eyes bright with renewed excitement.

"We leave tomorrow morning, sunrise." Tadashi said warmly, relief evident in his voice. "Meet us by the river, okay?" Ichigo nodded, and after a final, lingering glance, the trio disappeared.

* * *

The next morning, Ichigo was lounging contently against the river bank, the cool, crisp early morning air fresh and blessedly clean. The grass was wet with dew, and the sun had not yet risen, but he didn't care. He was leaving. Actually leaving. And for that, nothing could dampen his mood. The stars were still barely visible, and as Ichigo watched the sky to the east lightened rapidly from black to midnight blue to cerulean to silver to pale gold and on. He was entranced, the colors a shocking contrast to anything he'd seen since entering Soul Society.

"Ichigo."

Ichigo looked up sharply before nodding in acknowledgement, pushing himself up and making his way back up the river bank to stand near Tadashi. Tadashi smiled widely, eyes shining with excitement, before turning to look towards the border of Inuzuri.

"Glad you made it." He said absently, eyes calculating. "Well, from what I've heard we'll need to travel through the forests when we near the borders. There are a lot of gangs, especially here in the outer districts, who patrol the borders. We don't have the time or the strength for dealing with them, so we'll have to take out chances. Sound good?" He asked, turning to look at Ichigo.

"Mm. Sounds like a plan to me." He said slowly, eyes on Tadashi as they set off down the road, Homura and Shizuku trailing drowsily behind them.

"...Hey Tadashi?" Ichigo asked, gaze still firmly locked on the younger boy's face.

"Hmm?" He hummed in response, glancing at Ichigo from the corner of his eye.

"How old are you really?" Ichigo asked curiously. Tadashi's explanation about the borders had been one of an adult, and now that he thought about it, Tadashi's eyes had changed from the last time he'd seen the boy, even if it was a subtle difference. His eyes held wisdom, they were world weary and piercing. Not the eyes of a child. Tadashi's eyes lingered a moment longer before a sardonic smirk twisted his lips, the expression foreign and unwelcome on the otherwise childish visage.

"Old enough." He said simply, the sudden harshness behind the deceptively light tone putting an end to the small discussion. Ichigo frowned, eyes trailing over Tadashi's form as he quickened his pace. Those eyes, which had mere months ago been bright and warm, were now a darker, hardened blue. The depth and knowledge that swam within them was disturbing to say the least. His shaggy brown hair was dull, locks falling forward to shadow his face, making him appear much, much older than Ichigo originally thought. The carefully blank expression was broken only by the occasional downward tilt of his lips. His face was a little thinner, pale, filthy skin taking on an almost sickly pallor. His thin, wiry frame was hidden beneath the ragged yukata, but Ichigo could sense the tension that seemed to pump throughout his body, lining his face.

Frowning, Ichigo swallowed his questions and shrugged it off, cataloging the information for later. Reaching into his yukata, he pulled out one of the small bags from yesterday before tossing it at an unsuspecting Tadashi, who yelped when it collided with the back of his head. Whirling, he pinned the orange haired boy with a glare before glancing down to see what had hit him. His eyes widened in delight when he recognized the familiar little bag. He snatched it off the ground, looking back towards Ichigo just in time to see him toss another bag at Homura, who caught it reflexively. He quirked a small smile at Tadashi's wide-eyed expression.

"Consider it a thank you for letting me tag along." He said simply, hands crossed behind his head as he continued down the path. Tadashi and the kids stared after him in bewilderment before glancing at each other. Wide grins broke out on their faces, a stark contrast to the grim determination they'd shown earlier, and ran after the carrot top, the rising sun illuminating the road ahead.

* * *

**Okay, sorry I haven't updated for awhile. I had people at the house for nearly a week, and I've been cleaning (*cough*slave labor*cough*) for my mother. Literally, every frigging room in the house. She made me vacuum the god damn CEILING, for christsake! Dx**

**Anyway, I know this chapter was short, but trust me, this was just a chapter to bridge the departure to the actual traveling. All will be revealed in due time :) and if it seems fast/confusing, just tell me. I wrote this at like 3 a.m. this morning, so I'm sure it's not great, but I just wanted to update for you guys. I'll try and fix it later, gotta go! and again, sorry for the suckish update. R and R, please tell me what I can build on!**


	13. Chapter 13: Remember

Captain Ukitake sighed as he made his way back to the thirteenth's barracks. The captains' meeting hadn't gone well, to say the least. Everyone was anxious, and emotions were definitely running a little high. Ichigo Kurosaki still hadn't been found, and Head Captain Yamamoto had decided that every squad was to send out more shinigami to scour Rukongai for the boy. It was strange, though, that they hadn't heard even a whisper of his whereabouts. In life, the boy had been brash and unmistakable. He would have no reason to stay away from seretei, so it was troubling to say the least. Ichigo's closest friends were almost inconsolably worried, devoting every second of their free time to patrols, and the other captains and vice captains, along with a few seated officers who had met the boy, were slowly joining them.

"Taichou!" Ukitake winced internally at the screeching voices of his third seats, Kiyone and Sentaro, cut through his musings. Plastering on a kind, albeit weary, smile, he turned to face the duo.

"Ah, hello you two." He greeted cheerfully. They skid to a stop in front of him and dropped into quick bows.

"Taichou! Third seat Kiyone here to report-," The short haired girl started before Sentaro cut her off.

"Kiyone! What the hell?! I'm giving the report to Taichou, you brat!" He shouted, eyes narrowed in dislike. Kiyone glared at him heatedly, huffing in irritation.

"Like hell you are, Sentaro! Get the hell out of my face!" She replied hotly, pinning the black haired male with a hard glare before turning to stare adoringly at her captain, who sighed in frustration. Before Sentaro could retaliate, he intervened.

"Kiyone, you give the report today." He decided. "Sentaro, could you please make a run to the fourth to collect my medicine? I forgot to pick it up on my way to the barracks." Ukitake smiled congenially. They both saluted before Sentaro bowed once more and disappeared in a rush of shunpo. Kiyone dropped down to one knee, head bowed slightly, her expression uncharacteristically serious. Ukitake frowned slightly in response.

"Taichou! I come bearing news of the patrol squads." She began, tone neutral. Ukitake immedietly straightened, eyes wide.

"One of the squad members apparently decided to venture into the lower districts to look for Kurosaki, Ichigo. He went all the way to district 78, Inuzuri, and was about to give up the search for the day. However, apparently there was a vendor in the area complaining about an orange haired boy who had been stealing from him. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the boy he spoke of bore a striking resemblance to the description given to the squads. And," She hesitated slightly, eyes darting up to gauge Ukitake's reaction. "We found trace amounts of reiatsu, which matched his signature."

Ukitake's eyes widened disbelievingly before he whirled around, preparing to shunpo back to the first division. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder at Kiyone's shocked expression.

"You know what to do."

* * *

Ichigo sighed in relief as they passed into district 25. It had taken them over two months, but they had made good time all things considered.

"Ichi-nii."

Ichigo hid a wince of pain as he turned to look at Shizuku, shoving the dim recognition at the name to the back of his mind. Shizuku had started calling him that mere days into their journey, and the other two had soon picked it up. Ichigo didn't really mind, but he always felt a flash of gut wrenching familiarity, of grief, at the simple term. The pain that accompanied it left him with a pounding headache more often than not, like he was trying to hard to remember something.

"Shizu, what's up?" He asked quickly, ignoring the fading ache of his head. Shizuku was staring up at him inquisitively, eyes wide with excitement.

"You think we can get something to eat here? Please?" He asked hopefully, his small hands balled up in the faded material of his yukata. Tadashi and Homura, who had paused a few feet ahead of them, gazed back impassively, waiting for Ichigo to make the call. Ichigo sighed internally before glancing back down at the little boy beside him.

"Hmmm... why not? We have some extra money anyway, so I guess it's okay to treat ourselves a bit." He relented. Truthfully, they shouldn't be wasting money unnecessarily, but Ichigo couldn't refuse the boy for some reason. He reminded him to much of...someone. Someone he felt he should know, but didn't. Whenever he looked at Shizuku, there were flashes of people. Dim images to dark and fluid for him to catch, but all the same. He just couldn't refuse the child that he had come to regard as a younger sibling. With this in mind, he turned and led the small group in the direction he felt the town would be.

Shizuku cheered victoriously before running over to tackle Homura, who was grinning excitedly. The two babbled on about the prospect of food while Tadashi took his place beside Ichigo.

"You sure about this, Ichi-nii?" He asked, glancing at the carrot top. Ichigo nodded, not bothering to look at the younger boy. Tadashi shrugged, allowing a small, affectionate smile to grace his face before falling back a step.

"It's your call, nii-chan."

* * *

Ichigo sighed quietly to himself as he glanced at his sleeping companions. Homura and Shizuku had tired themselves out after dinner, and Tadashi had dropped off soon after, contentedly full. Dinner tonight had been the best they'd had in a very long time. They'd found a vendor who had taken pity on them and given them a discount. Their dinner had consisted of rice, some fish they'd caught from the local river, fruit, and a small jug of water.

Looking at them now, Ichigo still had a hard time believing that these were the same kids he'd traveled with all these months. The kids that had stolen from vendors, picked pockets, and fought against street thugs in abandoned alley ways. That had slept under the light of the full moon and become his surrogate family. They looked so young. So harmless and vulnerable. Ichigo had never realized how tense they always were until now, when sleep washed away the woes of their lives and allowed them to be children again.

Frowning, Ichigo's gaze left the children curled around him and surveyed the forest around them. They were nestled against a large oak tree, cradled between it's sprawling roots and shaded by the thick canopy above. The trees grew close together, and while that provided cover for them, it also hid their enemies. Ichigo exhaled silently, closing his eyes and focusing on nothing, letting his senses range out and feel the earth around them.

The silence was maddening. Ichigo could hear his blood pumping in his veins, he could feel the electricity, the adrenaline, running through his body like he had touched a live wire. Through the darkness of his mind he could feel the presence of the children that surrounded him, bright and full of life. The forest around them was alive with small animals and insects, but nothing else.

Letting out another breath, Ichigo reigned his senses back in and opened his eyes. Carefully maneuvering away from the kids sleeping around him, he stood up and silently made his way to a tree about ten feet away from the kids, still within sight but far enough that he could concentrate.

"I haven't had a chance to do this in awhile." He mused aloud, settling against the trunk in a cross legged stance. Ichigo didn't know what had him so on edge, but meditating always calmed him down. He settled, clearing his mind and taking a few deep breaths, before he felt himself relaxing into the darkness of him mind.

And the rest was silence.

* * *

"Ichigo."

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly, and the sight that greeted him sent a dizzying mix of recognition, curiosity, pain, and grief through him.

"Ossan." He greeted the old man as he sat up. He had not been to this crazy, turned-on-it's-side world since he first arrived in Soul Society, but he had heard from the old man once or twice. He stood, stumbling slightly from the disorientation. The old man stood on the same flag pole he had occupied when he had first brought Ichigo here, his cloak billowing around him, lifted by nonexistent winds. His mane of black-brown hair blew about his face in waves, and the glasses he always wore reflected the light of this strange world, turning the lenses opaque and hiding his eyes.

"What's up? Why did you bring me here? And where have you been all this time?" Ichigo asked, confusion evident in his voice as he gazed up at the older man, who stared back at him impassively. Silence reigned, endless, before he answered.

"You still don't remember." He murmured quietly to himself, staring at the boy before him. His frown deepend before he answered the child.

"I have not left this world, Ichigo. You should know that." He answered listlessly, eyes roaming over the young boy's features. Ichigo's scowl deepened in response.

"HUH?" He growled, annoyed. "What'dya mean I 'should know that'? And Where exactly IS this world anyway?" The older man frowned, eyeing the boy before he spoke.

"I cannot explain that to you right now. That is something you must find out on your own. You must remember," He stressed the final word. "You must remember who it is you are."

Ichigo glared at the older male, defiant.

"And what is it that I must remember? I know who I am! How about you stop speaking in riddles and actually ANSWER me, goddammit." He was shouting by the end, desperate for answers and frustrated to no end. The old man gave him a measured look before sighing audibly, dropping his gaze to the ground for a moment before glaring up at the darkness and turmoil of the sky above.

"Just remember, Ichigo. You may need me sooner than you think." He said simply, eyes never leaving Ichigo's as he, and the world around them, faded away.

"WHO ARE YOU!?"

* * *

"ICHI-NII!?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open, immediately falling on Shizuku, who was looking up at him in terror. Homura and Tadashi were conspicuously absent. Ichigo looked around wildly before turning his gaze back to the little boy kneeling beside him.

"Shizu, what's wrong?" He asked quickly, jerking upright. Shizuku stared at him in silence for a moment, trembeling, before pointing a shaking finger towards the city.

"W-we saw that you were sl-sleeping, and w-we decided not t-to wa-wake y-you. So we went into t-town to get breakfast, and Ta-Tadashi-nii and Nee-chan get attacked. I-I ran back here as f-fast as I could, bu-but-," Shizuku trailed off with a sob, tears pouring down his cheeks like rain. "I-I don't even know if they're still al-alive!"

Ichigo felt himself still, his blood running cold, before he bolted upright and grabbed Shizuku's hand.

"Shizu, take me there now!" He ordered, voice cold emotionless. Shizuku stared at him in terror before nodding and taking off, stumbling over tree roots and bushes as he went. Ichigo was close behind him, nimbly dodging through the trees and practically flying over the terrain as he ran beside the younger boy.

Within minutes they neared the city, Shizuku panting and struggling to keep running as Ichigo jogged beside him. He was desperate and annoyed, but he would not leave Shizuku alone. Especially not in the city. Soon enough they were nearing the heart of the city, blowing past the residents as they went. It was much better here than back in the lower districts. It was much cleaner, less populated. People wore nice yukatas and even shoes, as Ichigo had come to learn, and the shop owners were obviously better off. Children played in the streets and adults strolled with their neighbors.

'How in the world could they have gotten attacked here? What could they have possibly done?' Ichigo wondered to himself, following Shizuku absently as the boy turned into an alley way and raced into the maze. They were running through an endless pattern of twists and turns before Shizuku turned a final corner and paused, letting out a started sound of horror. Ichigo skid to a stop, frowning, as he moved around the younger boy, who was frozen in place.

"Shizu, what's wrong?" He asked, glancing around before he saw what had paralyzed the smaller boy. Ichigo's blood boiled, and in that instant he knew that the sight that greeted them would haunt him for the rest of his existence.

"HOMURA!"

* * *

The captains were assembled in uncharacteristically grim lines, silent, as they stared up at the Sou-taichou's impassive face. Head captain Yamamoto studied the faces before him before nodding in affirmation.

"What Captain Ukitake has reported is correct. This matter is of the utmost importance. I want squad eleven to dispatch emergency troops immediately to search Inuzuri and the surrounding districts from sixty-five on. Squads two, three, and five will be assigned to search through districts fifty through sixty-four, squads six, ten will handle thirty-five through forty-nine, and squads seven, eight, and nine will search the remaining districts. Squad twelve captain Kurotsuchi." He stated more than asked, watching as said captain stepped forward in acknowledgment.

"I want you to take a sample of the boy's reiatsu on the off chance that you can track him with it." He audibly dismissed the other man, who nodded readily and stepped back in line, his face twisted in a mixture of annoyance and intrigue. Yamamoto ignored him in favor of turning to look back over the assembled men and women before him.

"I've given you your orders. Is everything understood?" He boomed, eyes blazing. The captains stared up at him unblinkingly.

"HAI!"

Yamamoto nodded to himself in acceptance before continuing.

"If everything is in order then assemble your troops immediately. I want a full record of everyone on the recovery teams and I want them briefed as soon as possible. DISMISSED." He practically shouted, years worth of authority ringing in his tone. The captains nodded once more and almost instantly disappeared, flash stepping off to their respective divisions. Yamamoto let out a sigh as he turned and swept out of the room, eyes hard with resolve.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. We will find you."

* * *

**Woohoo. Things are finally picking up. Sorry I haven't been updating as frequently guys. I may have to limit updates to once a week, because I'm going to (mini) boot camp at the end of the month, and I've been busting my ass to get ready. :/ No free time anymore. Anyway, thanks for all the support and the outstanding reviews! I love reading what you guys have to say, and the criticism is always good. :) I'm glad everyone's enjoying the story so far, and I hope you guys don't mind the pace. There was a lot of background needed for the story, but now things will speed up a bit. Anyway, I'm late for my appointment with my local gym! x) Talk to you guys later, enjoy!**

**R and R please :) What do you guys think happened to Homura (and Tadashi)?**


	14. Chapter 14: Protect

**Sorry for the late update guys. I'm leaving for a week long boot camp up in the mountains with my unit in a few days, and I've been rushing to get my stuff together. So I tried to give you guys a better update, but again, I'm sorry it was late. :(**

* * *

Rage.

Ichigo, previously frozen in horror, leapt forward with a howl of thunderous anger, the scene playing through his mind. Homura, on the ground. A small crowd of thuggish brutes crowded around her in a leering circle, hands pinning her wrists and ankles like manacles. The hands that had been tearing at her thin yukata had stilled, turning away from her tear-stained, terrified face to look at the murderous orange haired boy before them.

"Hey kid, get outta here if ya know what's good for ya." One of them drawled, turning back to stare at the blonde he was hovering over, hands already moving to slide beneath her clothing. It didn't take a genius to realize what was about to happen.

Ichigo snapped.

He threw himself forward, refusing to dwell on the images that were seared into his mind. He attacked with a strength even he had been unaware of, flipping, twisting, and turning gracefully between the assailants as he went. He was vaguely aware of Shizuku racing forward to drag his sister away from the fray, but there was no time for Ichigo to spare the children a glance. He kicked away from the brute that had leapt at him, arms outstretched, and spun in a graceful arc above the thugs, landing soundlessly between them and the kids.

"I'll kill you." Ichigo growled, eyes flashing blue as he took a stance. His face was carefully blank, something far beyond just rage. It was a fury that they had never known, and Ichigo was about to use it to reign hell upon the bastards who dared...!

Refusing to finish the thought, or give Homura's attackers a chance to retaliate, Ichigo threw himself back into action. To anyone watching, Ichigo appeared to simply disappear. One moment he was there, motionless, and the next he was in front of one of the men, burying his fist in the older males stomach. Without pausing to watch the black haired male fly back, Ichigo spun in a rush of ungodly speed and slammed his foot into another's face, smirking darkly at the satisfying crunch of his nose and the stream of hot blood that splattered across his Yukata. Straightening, face white with fury, he back flipped and landed lightly behind another man, using the guy's long, unkempt hair as a handle to turn the guy around and slam his face into the brick wall of the alley, eyes impassive as he slumped to the ground. Dead or unconscious, he neither knew nor cared. The rage that he felt, the disgust, was fuel, and the fire that burned within him was screaming for blood. Shrieking for him to protect the children he had come to regard as younger siblings. It was a siren's call, and Ichigo gave in willingly, allowing himself to follow the instincts that had kept him alive as he kicked, flipped, and wove his way through the sickening excuses for human beings before him.

The screaming that had previously filled the alley died down as Ichigo threw the last guy into the wall behind him, his head striking the bricks with sickening force as he slid to the floor, a dark trail of blood marking his path. There had been quite a few of them, seven or eight lying in the alleyway. A few may have bolted, but Ichigo didn't really give a fuck at that point.

He'd get them sooner or later; besides, Karma was a bitch.

He heaved a panting breath, wiping his hand over his face in an attempt to clean off the sweat, blood, and dirt that was smeared across his skin. His yukata was ripped in several places, his shoulder shooting small bolts of agony through his body from the stab wound he had received. A myriad of shallow scrapes and cuts, countless bruises already scattered across his skin. He ignored them, unhindered, and turned around to check on the kids.

"ICHI-NII!" Shizuku practically screamed, bolting across the alley to throw his arms around the older boy. Ichigo started for a moment before allowing himself to return the hug. Shizuku sobbed nonsensically into his chest, arms tight around his older brother's waist.

"I was s-so sc-scared." He sobbed, relief and horror echoing in his voice as he tilted his head up to gaze desperately at the orange haired boy. "I th-thought you were gonna d-die. And N-Nee-chan was almost..."

He burst into a fresh round of sobs at the thought of his beloved sister. Ichigo patted his hand, carding his fingers through the mop of inky black hair before placing his hands on the boys shoulder, gently nudging him back. Shizuku went without question stepping back and rubbing his small hands over his face in a vain attempt to calm the tears that were cascading down his pale cheeks. Ichigo offered a small, comforting smile to the younger boy before making his way over to Homura, who was huddled against the wall, hands over her head as she buried her face in her knees.

When they reached her, Ichigo knelt down and placed a careful hand on her shoulder. Homura's head jerked up, recoiling reflexively until she registered the vibrant orange hair and carefully hidden concern on the older boy. Her bottom lip quivered, eyes shimmering with tears before throwing herself into the carrot top's arms, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing hysterically. Ichigo frowned slightly, tightening his arms around the child nestled against him, but otherwise remained impassive. The rage that bubbled inside him came back, but he shoved it away, intent on the girl he held.

"Are you injured?" He asked, voice soothing as he checked her over. He wouldn't ask if she was okay, because there was no way in hell she was alright after something like that. She shook her head quickly, a keening whine building in her throat as she curled her fingers into the material of his soiled yukata. He nodded in acknowledgement, pulling her into his arms and pushing himself to his feet. Shizuku latched onto his arm, staring anxiously at his sister as she buried her face in Ichigo's chest, small tremors rolling through her body as she attempted to reign in the sobs.

Ichigo said nothing, casting a withering glance at the bodies scattered around them before peering down at the blonde in his arms.

"Where's Tadashi?" He asked, the need to find the boy overpowering his need to beat the living hell out of the bastards who may have gotten away.

For the moment anyway.

Homura stared up at him uncomprehendingly before recognition flashed in her eyes.

"T-Tadashi and I got s-separated." She panted, a tremor in her voice. "We se-sent Shizuku back and ran to t-try and sh-shake them. B-but we couldn't outrun t-them. And then their f-friends sh-showed up and w-we lost each other."

She buried her face back in his yukata as a fresh round of sobs welled up in her chest. Ichigo nodded in understanding before turning to glance at the young boy beside him, scowl back in place.

"Take me to where you left them. We'll re-trace their steps." He said simply, watching as the child nodded and started running  
agiley through the alleyways. Ichigo followed him at a brisk jog, careful not to jostle the girl that he was carrying, noting absently that she weighed next to nothing.

Slipping out of the alleyway, the trio made their way through the thinly occupied streets, dodging past yukata clad adults, ignoring the disdainful looks and uninterested glances as they raced past.

Shizuku skid to a halt in front of a small vendor near the edge of the city, who looked up with vague concern as he laid eyes on the children before him.

"Ah, your those kids that Shiki and his friends ran off." He stated, eyes scanning over the trio and resting on Homura, mouth curling in disgust.

"Did they...?" He growled, eyes sharp as he gazed at her trembling form. Ichigo's scowl deepened.

"No." He said robotically. The older man seemed to understand the implication, his head bowing briefly in respectful acknowledgment.

"Where's the other boy that was with you, kid?" He asked curiously, glancing away from Ichigo to the smaller boy beside him. Shizuku paled but stepped forward.

"H-he and Nee-chan got separated. Did you see where they went?" He asked, small fists white with tension as he gazed evenly up at the elderly man before him, who stared back at him with glimmer of respect.

"...He took off in that direction." He finally admitted, pointing to a road leading out of town. "Three or four of the guys went after him, the rest went after your girl there."

Ichigo's glare sharpened, but he inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Thanks." He said simply, turning to take off down the road before them. The vendor's voice stopped him though.

"Hey kid," He said, drawing Ichigo's attention as he bent to grab something from behind the counter. "Good luck."

Ichigo's eyebrows shot up at the sight of the knife that was offered to him, it's wooden handle stained with a dark lacquer and it's blade glinting ominously from within the leather sheath. He looked up questioningly, watching as the shopkeeper bowed his head.

"Just in case." He said simply, waiting. Ichigo nodded hesitantly, reaching out to grasp the handle.

"... Thank you." He said quietly, eyes glinting as he turned away, breaking into a jog to allow Shizuku to keep up. The shopkeeper watched them go with a carefully feigned disinterest. He knew, better than anyone, what Shiki and his gang of miscreants were capable of, and while he didn't like the idea of the kids suffering at their hands, there was something in the older boy's eyes, in the way he held himself, that had given him pause. With one long look after them, he turned away, a shout breaking him out of his musing as he turned to survey the man ahead of him with wide eyes.

"Hey, old man!"

* * *

"Ichi-nii! Do you see him?" Shizuku panted from behind him. Ichigo glanced back to check on the boy, who had fallen a few paces behind him, panting as he struggled to keep up with Ichigo's longer strides. His eyes softened imperceptibly with concern, but he knew they didn't have time to take this slow. looking back towards the road before them, Ichigo shook his head, growling in frustration. They crested he top of a small hill and Ichigo stopped, ignoring Shizuku as he gazed around them for some sign of the brown haired boy.

"Tadashi, where are you?" He murmured, scanning the trees. He was about to start running again when Shizuku whipped towards the treeline to their right, eyes wide.

Then a terrifyingly familiar scream wrought the air, followed by a gut-wrenching roar.

* * *

"Sir, we've just gotten the order to send a squad out to district 25, west Rukongai. There are reports from the twelfth indicating large amounts of hollow activity. We've been ordered to move out immediately, sir." A recruit recited to captain Shunsui Kyoraku, who had been lounging on his office roof prior to the report. He stared out impassively from beneath the brim of his sakkat before heaving a sigh and nodding, sitting up and brushing his kimono off as he dismissed the young man, who promptly disappeared in a rush of shunpo.

Turning his eyes skyward, he gazed up at the endless blue before pulling himself up and following the recruit's lead.

"Nanao, I trust you've received the orders." He stated casually as he brushed past the dark haired womans slim form. She nodded dutifully, pushing her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose, the lenses flashing.

"Hai, taichou. Would you like me to assemble a team?" She inquired. Shunsui was silent for a moment before nodding absently.

"I suppose." He said, the woman disappearing before the words were out of his mouth. An uncharacteristically grim frown graced his lips as he made his way leisurely towards the front gates, where no doubt his liuetenant had already begun assembling the team.

"Why do I feel so uneasy?

* * *

Ichigo froze for an instant.

Only an instant.

Something tugged at the edge of his consciousness, small pricks of agony lancing through his head as the famished roar echoed in his mind. He could feel the pounding headache coming on and that strange rush of horrifying familiarity at the sound, but pushed the observations away in favor of setting Homura down an shoving Shizuku towards her.

"Stay here." He ordered, eyes locked on the treeline, a no-nonsense tone echoing in his voice. He didn't spare the two a glance as he took off through the trees, flying over the uneven ground and weaving through the undergrowth as he followed the pull in his soul. He could feel the evil in the air, the metallic tang of blood strong on the breeze as he closed in on the presence he had felt. Ichigo cursed himself, only realizing now that he had felt the same presence since he'd woken up.

What was it?

Rocketing through the foliage, he broke through the treeline at a break-neck pace and stumbled to a halt, eyes wide as he took in the carnage before him.

The three men, if you could call them that anymore, that the elderly man had warned them about were torn to pieces. Pools of crimson painted the grass, splattered across the clearing. Trees were splintered, deep craters and gashes littered the ground before him. Ichigo could see Tadashi as he stumbled over branches and body parts in a desperate bide for freedom, only to be batted to the side by a large, clawed hand.

The creatures before him were ghastly. There were three, with large white masks of some sort. Ichigo vaguely found himself wondering if they were made of bone.

One was almost snake-like, it's long pale body curled and coiled to spring as it observed the clearing hungrily, it's mask embellished with three green diamond shaped marks beneath it's left eye. The other was on the opposite end of the clearing from Ichigo, and was highly reminiscent of an insect. It's segmented body was shiny black, broken only by strips of white, with eight scythe-like appendages. It's mask was topped with four spikes pointing out, the eyes shadowed in lines of purple and it's mouth lined with thin orange lines that thickened as they slashed straight down from the corners of it's mouth.

Both were riveted on the boy who had flown across the clearing.

The one that had flung Tadashi was huge, easily sixteen feet tall. The white mask it wore was decorated with two swirling black lines that curled down from his forehead to the corners of his mouth, the eyes outlined in thick red lines that curved back like a cat's eye, ending just under the lethal looking horns that curled above him. Glowing gold eyes shone from the darkness of the mask, and it's mouth was lined with rows of jagged looking teeth. It's body was a gruesome cross between human and animal, wolf, covered in thick black fur and standing upright, over-sized arms hanging at it's sides. It's hands were tipped with large, crimson claws, and the hole in the center of it's chest gave Ichigo a clear view of Tadashi as he huddled against the tree behind him, eyes wide with terror and mouth open in a piercing scream.

Ichigo winced, frozen, as the pain in his head multiplied ten fold.

The creature growled, bringing an arm up to finish him off, claws glinting ominously in the sunlight as it swung down.

Time seemed to slow down, blood rushing in his ears as he finally moved. Ichigo lurched forward, eyes locked on the screaming form of the child huddled on the ground.

On the boy he had come to see as a younger brother.

Someone he had to protect at all costs.

Protect.

Ichigo threw himself between the creature and Tadashi, the monstrous howls echoing in his ears, his mind reverberating with a single word.

**Protect.**

_Ichigo._

* * *

**I'ma cut it off here I suppose. Like I said at the beginning, sorry it was so late. I've just been so busy getting ready for boot camp. :/ I went last year, so it's a little easier, but I'll still be in the mountains with no power/internet (hell, no cell reception) for a week+, so I won't be able to update while I'm gone. Hell, I won't even be able to WRITE because, if it's anything like last year, I'll be too busy/exhausted to do anything else. So for that, I apologize. I really hope this chapter makes up for it. I'll try to get another update out before I leave, but no promises. :/ I'll definitely pick it up when I get back. **

**Anyway, I'm about to head over to my friend's house for a late PT session, so I'll talk to you guys later. **

**Leave a review on your way out!**


	15. Chapter 15: Names

"Taichou, we just entered district ten. At this rate, we won't reach district twenty-five until late this evening or tomorrow morning."

Kyoraku nodded absently to his lieutenants quiet deduction, deep in thought. It really was a problem, and with so much hollow activity in such close proximity to the souls they were meant to protect, he really couldn't afford to just write it off. The small group of shinigami that Nanao had assembled, will proficient enough in their own right, just couldn't seem to keep up. They were lagging farther behind despite the struggle to match the pace he and his lieutenant had set, and this was a leisurely stroll as far as either was concerned. Apparently, he needed to drill his division on speed after all was said and done.

He mulled everything over for a few moments before nodding to himself, bringing a hand up to tilt the edge of his sakkat down in an unconscious gesture.

"Maa," He sighed, glancing at his lieutenant. "I guess there's no help for it. As much as I hate to leave you, my sweet Nanao, I'll have to go on ahead."

Nanao glared at him in response, eyes hard with barely concealed concern. If she wasn't with him, she reasoned, then how could she fulfill her duties and protect her taichou? Before she could argue this, however, Kyoraku cut her off.

"Nanao-chan," He started, ignoring the fuming girl beside him. "This is one mission that we do not have time to spare on. We need to get out there as soon as possible to protect the citizens of that district, and investigate the sudden spike in hollow activity. So I leave my men in your capable hands, my lovely Nanao." He finished, flashing a lazy smile at her. His eyes, however, stopped her lecture before she could open her mouth. They were the eyes of a warrior, hardened with resolve and steeled to fulfill his duty as a shinigami. She slowly nodded, bowing her head in understanding.

"Hai, taichou." She said impassively. "I understand, I apologize for trying to interfere."

Kyoraku quirked a glance in her direction before putting a strong hand on her shoulder, his smile both good-natured and sincere.

"Maa, you worry to much." He said kindly. "I'll be fine, Nanao-chan."

After one last comforting squeeze, he left, disappearing in a rush of shunpo and a flap of his hayori that blew her hair back. Ignoring the spluttering awe of her subordinates, she paused, looking towards the horizon with a mixture of concern and pride. Shunsui Kyoraku had always been an honorable man, not that she would admit it, but there was something in his eyes.

Something so reminiscent of a certain young, brash, orange-haired protector.

"Be safe, taichou."

* * *

Shizuku was panicking, eyes wide with fright as he ran down the path and back towards the city they'd traveled from. He'd left his precious Nee-chan hidden amongst the trees and raced here in a desperate bid to help his brothers.

Brothers.

As far as Shizuku was concerned, that's what they were. Ichigo and Tadashi were his older brothers, and even if he was younger than them, it was his job to protect his family, just like Tadashi and Nee-chan had protected him for years.

Like Ichigo had protected them.

So Shizuku ran, panting with exhaustion and rising hysteria as he stumbled through the crowd blindly. He vaguely recognized the street, but ignored that small fact, glancing around desperately for someone who could help. Someone who could protect Ichi-  
Nii.

"Hey kid!" A voice cut through his despair and he spun around to look at whoever had spoken. The older man from earlier was staring at him in confusion and concern, eyes dancing over Shizuku's heaving frame as the boy trembled before him. There was something wild in his thin, pale pace and his wide eyes that put the elderly man on edge, and Shizuku raced forward, shoving whoever had been standing nearby out of the way as he stumbled against the vendor's stand.

"Ichi-nii. Ichi-nii's in trouble." He panted, gazing imploringly at the older man who looked at him pityingly. Beside him, the other guy started.

"I told you kids they were dangerous-" The old man started, but Shizuku cut him off, slamming a small fist against the counter in agitation.

"No, not them! Ichi-nii got attacked! By-By monsters!" He cried. The older man stared at him in horror.

"What'd they look like, kid?" He asked quietly, bowing his head.

"L-like monsters." Shizuku said slowly, struggling to recall the details. "I-Ichi-Nii told me to stay away, but I felt something evil in the direction he ran, and I went to check it out. I think they ha-had masks or something. And they were huge, and scary." He trailed off as the elderly man turned away, refusing to meet Shizuku's imploring gaze as he heaved a sigh.

"Kid, you may as well forget about those friends of yours." He said quietly, shocking Shizuku into silence. "They're as good as dead, and I suggest you don't go back there unless you wanna go like they will."

Shizuku was stunned, jaw hanging open in horrified disbelief as he stumbled away from the stand. Tears filled his eyes and his vision blurred.

"Y-You're lying. You're lying!" He shouted, ignoring the looks and silence of the people around him, who had paused in at his outburst. He drew in shuddering breaths as he glared at the elderly man, who's head still bowed.

"Ichi-nii wouldn't...couldn't...ICHIGO CAN'T DIE!" He was screaming by the end, refusing to even consider the elderly man's words as he turned and shoved through the crowd, who parted for him silently. Shizuku ignored the pitying gazes and annoyed glares that were thrown his way as he ran back through the maze of streets, tears blurring his vision and streaking his pale face. Knocking an older couple out of his way, paying no mind to the enraged shouts that echoed after him, he stumbled towards the edge of the city leading back towards his family and fell, striking the ground with a sickening thump.

He lay there for a few moments, lacking the strength to get up, and mulled over the older man's words. He thought of his Nee-chan, her gorgeous green eyes burning with determination as she stood between him and the bullies who had chased him. He thought of Tadashi, who had protected them with everything he had and fed them, caring for them like they were his own. He thought of Ichigo, who had a fierce love for the trio. Who's smile, rare as it was, was as warm as the sun and so, so confident.

Shizuku winced as he pushed himself up, wiping the tears from his face in annoyance, jaw set in determination.

"I can't just lay here." He murmured to himself, turning to look towards the prescence he could still feel. "My family needs me."

Before he could take a step, a strong hand clamped down on his thin shoulder. Whirling around, he instinctively threw a punch towards his assailant, just like Ichigo had taught him to, and buried his small fist in the stranger's stomach. The other man, who he vaguely recognized as the man he's shoved aside at the vendors stand earlier, doubled over with a gasp, his breath leaving him in a 'whoosh' of agonized surprise. He doubled over, struggling to get air back into his lungs before raising his eyes to Shizuku's wary form. Straightening up, he gazed assessingly down at the younger boy, face grim.

"There's only one other guy that I know who could throw a punch like _that_." He finally said, eyes searching as he looked over Shizuku's tired form. "Do you know Ichigo?"

Shizuku straightened unconsciously, still glaring at the older man.

"Why do you care? What do you want with Ichi-nii?" He demanded.

The other guy, who he now realized was wearing a shihakusho, stared at him impassively before nodding to himself. The shinigami grabbed Shizuku's arm before he could protest, hauling him up into the crook of his arm.

"Just tell me where to go, kid. Sounds like that dumb ass got himself into a lot of trouble this time." He said, waiting for Shizuku to point wordlessly down the road before taking off, careful to keep a tight hold in the boy in his arms as he raced down the road. Shizuku stared up at him warily before sighing and turning to look towards the horizon.

"...Who are you?" He asked a few minutes later, his eyes never leaving the crest of the hell they were running towards.

_Just a little further_, he thought anxiously. _Hang out, Ichi-nii_.

The shinigami stared down at him in surprise for a moment before grinning cockily.

"I'm Ganju Shiba."

* * *

"Ichigo."

It was like the world had frozen, like time had stopped all together. There was no wind, no screams, no agony or the sickening metallic tang of blood. The world around him was cast in varying shades of gray. The monster before him was frozen, jaws wide in hunger as it lunged towards it's prey. Ichigo glanced around, confusion coloring his face as he turned to look around the clearing.

His eyes widened when they fell on the familiar sight of the old man from his dreams, standing mere yards away, cloak billowing behind him as always despite the fact that there was no wind. He strode forward silently, seeming to glide over the blood-soaked field before pausing before the orange-haired boy, who was staring up at him in annoyance and confusion.

"Ossan." He greeted tightly. "What the hell are you doing here? What's going on?"

The older man stared at him impassively, eyes searching, before responding.

"Do you want to protect them, Ichigo? Do you want to live?"

The question threw the younger male for a loop, and Ichigo stared uncomprehendingly at the older man as he gazed down at him from behind his dark glasses.

"O-Of course I do! What kind of a question is that?" He finally yelled, glaring defiantly at the older man, who's glasses flashed as he inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"I can give you the power to fight. The power to protect those you hold dear. But be warned, Ichigo. The path ahead is long and painful, and the powers you will acquire will not come easily. The choice is yours. Do you still wish to take this step?" He questioned, staring down at the child before him. Ichigo's glare intensified, determined.

"I don't care how long or hard the road, I don't care what the cost, and I don't care if it won't be easy, or even if I die. But if you have the power, if you can lend me your strength to protect them, then I want to fight!" Ichigo growled, hands balled at his sides in a tight, white-knuckled grip. The older man stared at him searchingly before nodding, stepping back as he began to fade away, his cloak disappearing from existence and working it's way up.

"You should be able to hear my name now, Ichigo. Just remember, you cannot turn back. Face forward, cast off your fear. The enemy is one, and you are also one. Go forward! Never stand still. Retreat and you will age. Hesitate and you will die. Now call my name!"

"ZANGETSU!"

* * *

Kyoraku froze for a moment at the sheer force of the spiritual pressure that suddenly exploded into being ahead of him before rocketing forward once more, jaw set and eyes blazing. He knew that reiatsu. There was no mistaking it, and that urged him to move even faster, districts blurring around him sickeningly as he blew past.

"Ichigo."

* * *

**So I guess I'll stop there. I know it wan't the best or the longest chapter, but I needed this one, and I at least wanted to give you guys a little something before I leave. I will try once more to update before I leave, but like I said last time, no promises. I was only able to write this one because I had a few hours free after my unit canceled PT. So again, no promises that I will succeed, but I'll sure as hell try. Hope it wasn't to boring! **

**Leave a review on your way out!**


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